Yeah, Afghanistan is a mess

Just a few thoughts on the Afghanistan situation that I haven't heard articulated yet. Mainly:

• Is this even a real, legitimate sovereign country? Maybe its borders are an inherent problem. Maybe the global community should help the major ethnic tribes in the region establish their own autonomous states.
• Do Westerners who support isolation as a foreign policy really have such little conviction in their own underlying value systems? It seems evident that the Western system of governence (based on enlightenment values) has led to bountiful human flourishing. Why is it so bad to encourage other places to adopt this? Maybe it's more a problem of methodology (specifically the American neo-conservative type).
• Who is the enemy here, really? Maybe it's worth reminding ourselves about jihad, and its history. And perhaps there's somethere there to learn about the value of passion.