American intervention, American exceptional, it is all the same ball of smoldering wax. Why either of the two parties feel it necessary to promote American consumer culture by having boots on the ground with guns, reveals what is fundamentally wrong with American foreign policy. Even the ruse about defending women’s rights in Afghanistan is shown to be a jive faced proposal by our cordial relations with Saudi Arabia. The rule seems to be that a country is allowed its own cultural peculiarities, just as long as that nation has monetary (we’ll call it strategic) relations. If enough money is involved, concern for human rights completely disappears.
I applaud others on this site who have the wisdom to recognize that capitalism is not democracy. Totalitarian states can thrive, and still be ready to do business.

You’ve misunderstood. Invading Afghanistan wasn’t about making it a democracy: it was about making it like America. What’s happened to this intelligent, idealistic young man has happened to lots of people in America. The Kennedys got the death sentence just as he did and so did Martin Luther King. Their crime was idealism and a belief in the common good. There are people locked up in Guantanamo Bay who aren’t guilty of any crime on the law books and they’ve been locked up for years with no trial.

Actually that could be a mix of Boos, considering they don’t Value Human life after Birth. so their being upset by this ‘leniency’ may be just as loud.
the ‘Christian right’ which has been trying to take over America for the last 25 yrs have EXACTLY the same mindset when it comes to Women
When we discuss Abortion why won’t the ‘right’ at least concede prevention is the KEY to Reducing or even eliminating the issue?
Why is it NEVER the males Reproductive responsilbities or Anatomy we are seeking to control?
Want to Talk Abortion with me….Then Put the contraceptives and the Testicles on the Table too. Otherwise you are nothing more than Fanatical Probirthers who still harbor the idea that women are the cause of unwanted pregnancy (Whores) and we must be managed/Controlled to Produce since men are encouraged & rewarded for being ‘Fruitful & Multiplying’!

Some of these comments seems far off base…this poor guy did what many did back during the civil rights movement in this country. The difference being he was almost killed for it. They only spared his life so they could continue to hold the populations favor. I can’t understand, under any religion how someone could be jailed for 20 years or executed for passing out “INFORMATION.” Seriously, if he was handing out porno or books on the devil, condoms…SOMETHING! But this guy was handing out a flyer…a simple flyer. It goes to show you how little we have actually come in the last 100 years. I know this isn’t going to be a popular view, but Parwez Kambakhsh is only 24 and went against the status quo in an extremely conservative country. He put his own safety on the line to improve conditions around him. This guy has all my respect…

When it comes to the endless graveyard that is Afghanistan, both political parties are disastrous idiots.If you care about your fellow American citizens, tell Obama, tell McCain, to get everyone out of there. In that region of the world, death is the only victory.
Despite all the claims for retaliation, the Afghanistan war was wrong from the very beginning. The fact that Obama and Biden can talk of taking the fight to the terrorists there, reveals that there is plenty of horse manure to shovel around.

There is no greater source of strife, hatred, terrorism, bloodshed, persecution or war than religion.

Hmmmm…...  I don’t think this country can say much.  This country (USA) is holding people without charges for, what, seven years?  And indefinitely maybe?  Who are we to say.

Cannot Bush intervene?

Hmmmm…...  I don’t think this country can say much.  This country (USA) is holding people without charges for, what, seven years?  And indefinitely maybe?  Who are we to say.

Cannot Bush intervine?

This case is unbelievable…..President Karzai is a puppet; it would do him so good to show a little independence from the “strings” that our controlling him.

“20 years”?????

Our military (and others) are destroying this country….the Bush administration (along with all the other idiot’s) says it is helping to bring “democracy” to countries like Afghanistan…...instead they are bringing ddd (death, destruction and disaster) the the land and the people.

Here, Here Frank,

Democracy does not mean individual rights, for years the United States did not allow women the right to vote nor back folks, even today we see intimidation and harassment of voting.  I would suppose even the freedom of speech would not be our right if certain folks had their way.  Yes we are spreading Democracy, like a Pox around the world, because like each and every religion we know we are right and what is good for others.

Abuse of women’s rights is despicable, I would add anyones rights.

Of all the diseases that plague mankind, none are more destructive than the psychological virus known as religion (or if you prefer, religious fundamentalism).

Here we have the government of Afghanistan, far more moderate than the former Taliban regime, who have graciously decided to let this brave young man spend 20 years in prison instead of hanging him or hacking of his head, because he dared to question the local religious paradigm on woman’s rights.

Thankfully, this is a disease which has not plagued me since I was a teenage, but I would give up everything I have, and ever will have, to see it eradicated from mankind.