Who says they are heading toward democracy at all? Do you stop at fascism along the way? Afghanistan was essentially our state. It was beginning to prosper and experience the rights and freedoms already established by our presence--why do "they" need to create a government if we already have one that works and that their people seemed to like?

We should open up to voluntarily annexing states like Afghanistan and Puerto Rico instead of continuing to drool over some fuedal age government philosophy. Invite people in. The current system of fight-and-flight is looking a bit dated.