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	<title>Comments on: The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan</title>
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		<title>By: chenlifeng0810</title>
		<link>http://washingtonindependent.com/54550/the-wise-men-start-rethinking-afghanistan/comment-page-1#comment-66066</link>
		<dc:creator>chenlifeng0810</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:27:06 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>Only One word to characterize such a great post “WOW” that was a very interesting read&lt;br /&gt;a href=&quot;http://www.victoriaclassic.com&quot;&gt;Links of London Jewellery&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Everything dynamic and very positively!&lt;br /&gt;a href=&quot;http://www.victoriaclassic.com&quot;&gt;Links of London Jewellery&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I think I will try to recommend this post to my friends and family, cuz it’s really helpful.&lt;br /&gt;a href=&quot;http://www.victoriaclassic.com&quot;&gt;Links of London Jewellery&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Just wanted to say great job with the blog, today is my first visit here and I’ve enjoyed reading your posts so far&lt;br /&gt;a href=&quot;http://www.victoriaclassic.com&quot;&gt;Links of London Jewellery&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Thanks for article. Everytime like to read you.&lt;br /&gt;a href=&quot;http://www.victoriaclassic.com&quot;&gt;Links of London Jewellery&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Only One word to characterize such a great post “WOW” that was a very interesting read<br />a href=&#8221;http://www.victoriaclassic.com&#8221;&gt;Links of London Jewellery</p>
<p>Everything dynamic and very positively!<br />a href=&#8221;http://www.victoriaclassic.com&#8221;&gt;Links of London Jewellery</p>
<p>I think I will try to recommend this post to my friends and family, cuz it’s really helpful.<br />a href=&#8221;http://www.victoriaclassic.com&#8221;&gt;Links of London Jewellery</p>
<p>Just wanted to say great job with the blog, today is my first visit here and I’ve enjoyed reading your posts so far<br />a href=&#8221;http://www.victoriaclassic.com&#8221;&gt;Links of London Jewellery</p>
<p>Thanks for article. Everytime like to read you.<br />a href=&#8221;http://www.victoriaclassic.com&#8221;&gt;Links of London Jewellery</p>
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		<title>By: The beginning of the end to our war in Afghanistan &#171; Fabius Maximus</title>
		<link>http://washingtonindependent.com/54550/the-wise-men-start-rethinking-afghanistan/comment-page-1#comment-65866</link>
		<dc:creator>The beginning of the end to our war in Afghanistan &#171; Fabius Maximus</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:19:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://washingtonindependent.com/?p=54550#comment-65866</guid>
		<description>[...] on August 10 Spencer Ackerman wrote that The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan.   On August 11 he described why the great and wise have begun to bail on the [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] on August 10 Spencer Ackerman wrote that The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan.   On August 11 he described why the great and wise have begun to bail on the [...]</p>
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		<title>By: Yahya</title>
		<link>http://washingtonindependent.com/54550/the-wise-men-start-rethinking-afghanistan/comment-page-1#comment-63731</link>
		<dc:creator>Yahya</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:39:54 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>Afghanistan: What would Napoleon have done?&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;In the late 18th century, Switzerland was already a confederation of provinces (cantons) united, despite the diversity of languages and the schism of religion, by centuries of common history and pride in their fighting fame. This resemblance to modern Afghanistan deserves to be mentioned and indeed does not only refer to a mountainous geography, a landlocked country, with a population predominantly rural and conservative, politically organized around large cities.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;When, at that time, the revolutionary ideas rocked Europe, disorder settled in Switzerland and violence broke out between those who wanted to keep the old order and those who swore only by social progress.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;General Napoleon Bonaparte, who then led a victorious army in Italy, was sought by Swiss citizens to assist in their emancipation. Driven as much by ambition as by good intentions, he promised freedom, equal rights, and soon the French armed forces entered the country.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&quot;Many thought we could not obtain anything without the help of France, but the majority of the people abhor the armed intervention of a foreign power in the affairs of their homeland&quot; (History of the Swiss Nation, Henri Zschokke, 1830). Proud mountain people, jealous of their liberty and ancient heritage, then rose in many valleys.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;In 1798, France confirmed its project: &quot;Switzerland will provide a full and indivisible Republic under a central Government. (...) The Government shall appoint, for the enforcement of laws in the various cantons, governors and other authorities.&quot; But, unfortunately, announced democracy and social progress only brought forth oligarchic administration, and endless political turmoil accompanied the insurgency.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;In 1803, Napoleon, with the foresight that today certainly is lacking in the international community on Afghanistan, did not hesitate to reverse the policy itself and, in order to restore civil concord, imposed a Mediation. He wrote to the delegates of the cantons: &quot;Switzerland resembles no other State, either by the events that have succeeded for many centuries, or by location or by the different languages, different religions, or this extreme difference of manners between its different parts. Nature has made your State federal, willing to defeat it is not from a wise man.&quot;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The Act of Mediation enabled Switzerland to restore peace in the midst of a Europe at war. This was followed in 1815 by a Federal Pact, and especially by an &quot;Act of recognition of the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland&quot; signed by all European governments. On these solid foundations, the Federal State was formed over the decades, around a Constitution (1848), an Army of Militia, a Right of Referendum (1874), a Right of Popular Initiative (1891), a Civil Code (1907), a Penal Code (1937), etc. It may be noted in passing that it was not until 1971 that the Swiss, after several refusals, accepted the participation of women in federal politics.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The Swiss political model is regularly cited as one that could inspire a peaceful Afghanistan: Edwin Paynter 2002, Henry Kissinger 2009, Inderfurth and Dobbins 2009, etc.. Yet the international community persists in trying to impose on this complex country a highly centralized political model, secretly hoping the advent of a &quot;good dictator&quot;...</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Afghanistan: What would Napoleon have done?</p>
<p>In the late 18th century, Switzerland was already a confederation of provinces (cantons) united, despite the diversity of languages and the schism of religion, by centuries of common history and pride in their fighting fame. This resemblance to modern Afghanistan deserves to be mentioned and indeed does not only refer to a mountainous geography, a landlocked country, with a population predominantly rural and conservative, politically organized around large cities.</p>
<p>When, at that time, the revolutionary ideas rocked Europe, disorder settled in Switzerland and violence broke out between those who wanted to keep the old order and those who swore only by social progress.</p>
<p>General Napoleon Bonaparte, who then led a victorious army in Italy, was sought by Swiss citizens to assist in their emancipation. Driven as much by ambition as by good intentions, he promised freedom, equal rights, and soon the French armed forces entered the country.</p>
<p>&#8220;Many thought we could not obtain anything without the help of France, but the majority of the people abhor the armed intervention of a foreign power in the affairs of their homeland&#8221; (History of the Swiss Nation, Henri Zschokke, 1830). Proud mountain people, jealous of their liberty and ancient heritage, then rose in many valleys.</p>
<p>In 1798, France confirmed its project: &#8220;Switzerland will provide a full and indivisible Republic under a central Government. (&#8230;) The Government shall appoint, for the enforcement of laws in the various cantons, governors and other authorities.&#8221; But, unfortunately, announced democracy and social progress only brought forth oligarchic administration, and endless political turmoil accompanied the insurgency.</p>
<p>In 1803, Napoleon, with the foresight that today certainly is lacking in the international community on Afghanistan, did not hesitate to reverse the policy itself and, in order to restore civil concord, imposed a Mediation. He wrote to the delegates of the cantons: &#8220;Switzerland resembles no other State, either by the events that have succeeded for many centuries, or by location or by the different languages, different religions, or this extreme difference of manners between its different parts. Nature has made your State federal, willing to defeat it is not from a wise man.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Act of Mediation enabled Switzerland to restore peace in the midst of a Europe at war. This was followed in 1815 by a Federal Pact, and especially by an &#8220;Act of recognition of the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland&#8221; signed by all European governments. On these solid foundations, the Federal State was formed over the decades, around a Constitution (1848), an Army of Militia, a Right of Referendum (1874), a Right of Popular Initiative (1891), a Civil Code (1907), a Penal Code (1937), etc. It may be noted in passing that it was not until 1971 that the Swiss, after several refusals, accepted the participation of women in federal politics.</p>
<p>The Swiss political model is regularly cited as one that could inspire a peaceful Afghanistan: Edwin Paynter 2002, Henry Kissinger 2009, Inderfurth and Dobbins 2009, etc.. Yet the international community persists in trying to impose on this complex country a highly centralized political model, secretly hoping the advent of a &#8220;good dictator&#8221;&#8230;</p>
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		<title>By: narciso</title>
		<link>http://washingtonindependent.com/54550/the-wise-men-start-rethinking-afghanistan/comment-page-1#comment-63723</link>
		<dc:creator>narciso</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:13:39 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>Let&#039;s just give upSpencer, frankly lets apologize for AQ having to kill 3,000 americans, I&#039;m sure we did something to deserve it, right</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Let&#39;s just give upSpencer, frankly lets apologize for AQ having to kill 3,000 americans, I&#39;m sure we did something to deserve it, right</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>By: The Washington Independent » The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan &#124; Afghanistan Today</title>
		<link>http://washingtonindependent.com/54550/the-wise-men-start-rethinking-afghanistan/comment-page-1#comment-63697</link>
		<dc:creator>The Washington Independent » The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan &#124; Afghanistan Today</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:38:23 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>[...] more here: The Washington Independent » The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan   Share and [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] more here: The Washington Independent » The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan   Share and [...]</p>
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		<title>By: The Washington Independent » The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan &#124; kozmom news</title>
		<link>http://washingtonindependent.com/54550/the-wise-men-start-rethinking-afghanistan/comment-page-1#comment-63669</link>
		<dc:creator>The Washington Independent » The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan &#124; kozmom news</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:28:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://washingtonindependent.com/?p=54550#comment-63669</guid>
		<description>[...] Read more: The Washington Independent » The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] Read more: The Washington Independent » The Wise Men Start Rethinking Afghanistan [...]</p>
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		<title>By: Matthew Yglesias &#187; Lee Hamilton Has Some Doubts About Afghanistan</title>
		<link>http://washingtonindependent.com/54550/the-wise-men-start-rethinking-afghanistan/comment-page-1#comment-63510</link>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Yglesias &#187; Lee Hamilton Has Some Doubts About Afghanistan</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:53:09 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>[...] fundamental question. And it&#8217;s a good one. And as Spencer Ackerman explains, Hamilton has an interesting relationship with the President: Unfortunately, that’s the end of Hamilton’s op-ed, which, if anything, [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] fundamental question. And it&#8217;s a good one. And as Spencer Ackerman explains, Hamilton has an interesting relationship with the President: Unfortunately, that’s the end of Hamilton’s op-ed, which, if anything, [...]</p>
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