Happy My Friend Was Wrong

Recall my depressing lunch with an Afghan friend? His gloomy predictions seem not to be coming true (though to give him credit, I think it was such gloomy reports that led to a mini-surge in Afghanistan to turn the situation around). Nevertheless, the Taliban is no match for the Brits in a firefight. The Taliban had every strategic element on their side, but ended up routed:

As last light crept in, a stream of red tracer bullets lit up the sky, zipping 10ft above heads of those in the mudbrick compound held by A Company, 3rd Bn The Parachute Regiment.

"None of the British will leave that compound alive," local intelligence had reported a day earlier.

In reply to the threat, company commander Major Jamie Loden told a meeting of village elders that the Taliban "fight like women" and if they were men "they would dare to fight us".

RTWT. This is only the most recent in a string of stories suggesting the Afghan war is, like Iraq, all but won.

Which reminds me: Young people, Come To Iraq

If you are a young economist, anthropologist, or political scientist, my advice to you is: come to Iraq. If you want to see the interplay between economic growth and governance, the competition of state and non-state structures, practical challenges in aid and development assistance, microeconomics with weak contract enforcement and rule of law - this is the place.

Wouldn't that be cool? Not temp-wise, of course. Fringe benefits:

Aside from personal and professional benefits, in Iraq you will get the satisfaction of helping people who are sacrificing everything to overcome enormous difficulties.

Not to mention:

I eat the street food here, and have no problems.