Two elections of note this weekend. One election in Afghanistan electing a new parliament and one in Germany doing the same. A quote from today's Peoria Journal Star front page article from the Afghan President who had been elected last autumn, "'After 30 years of wars, interventions, occupations and misery, today Afghanistan is moving forward, making an economy, making political institutions,' President Hamid Karzai said as he cast his own ballot nearly a year after his own victory in an election that defied Taliban threats."

First, this struggle in Afghanistan is not over. However, democracy in their fashion is beginning. It is a great day for them made possible by the intervention of the United States. It did not come easily and it did not come cheaply. Many libertine Democrats voiced their opposition to our involvement. If they are smart, they will welcome this day as a day of developing freedom for the people of Afghanistan. Watch and see if they do or not. Don't be surprised if they don't.

Secondly, Iraq is also going through the same painful process. They were under dictatorial control for years in which thousands of their own citizens were murdered and two wars were waged before our intervention. Why do people expect this battle to be so easy? Afghanistan suffered through "30 years of wars, interventions, occupations and misery." They now are on their way to a democratic society but they will continue to have problems. The people of Iraq are suffering under terrorist assaults far greater than our troops are. How dare we even think of abandoning them to terrorists?! Probably the only thing that will prevent victory for the people of Iraq is our country's own lack of resolve and will to help a nation that has the opportunity to have democratic freedom. Yes, it probably won't be like our democracy. So what? Our democracy has evolved over time including a bloody civil war; give them a chance to do the same. Prayerfully, their democracy will not evolve into a Courtocracy.