Fortunately, I think in the case of Afghanistan we've learned our lesson. We bailed out of the country when we didn't need it anymore, left it in shambles, and it came back to bite us. I think there's a pretty broad base of support for a mini-Marshall Plan, to help prevent the same kind of destabalization. For now. If we don't stick it out, lord help us. Since we are also finally getting what we've wanted from Afghanistan for the past 20 years, namely a big fat gas pipeline (don't get me started!), I think the US will stick around at least as long as the gas holds out.

For the moment, though, the average Afghani is not really any better off and many are much, much worse -- being homeless, widowed or orphaned comes to mind. And the situation seems unlikely to improve at all in terms of women's and children's welfare -- the Northern Alliance is as anti-everything-not-male as the Taliban was.

The US doesn't care if the standing government is brutal and repressive, only that it's stable and friendly to US business interests.