Shakespeare

From Michael:
July 11, 2008

Shakespeare famously wrote “the first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” I cannot tell you how many times non-lawyers have tried to use that one on me. At first I would laugh it off as amusing, but over time, it has begun to grate on my nerves; the primary reason being that most people are totally unaware of the context of that phrase. It comes from “King Henry VI”, and it has to do with characters who are plotting to create anarchy and overthrow the government. They recognized that the rule of law was central to a civilized society, and that the rule of law depended on a system of justice to enforce those rules. The system of justice was comprised mostly of, you guessed it, lawyers! So, in order to create chaos and anarchy, one must kill all the lawyers, those whose job it is to instill and enforce civility and justice.

Here, in Afghanistan , it appears that the Taliban are well-versed in Shakespearean tactics. There are no lawyers in our province as they have been run out of town, and the only judge was assassinated. This makes for an easy day when it comes to bullying the local populace around. With no lawyers and no judge, there is no system of justice. Anarchy ensues.

One of my tasks is to conduct a thorough assessment of just how bad the current situation is with respect to governance and the rule of law in our sector. In order to accomplish this, I will be going back outside the wire to meet with some local officials to conduct a formal survey of sorts. Once I have captured and compiled the necessary data, I will then come up with proposed courses of action for paving the road to a civil and just society in this lawless land. I think it is a noble undertaking that, if done right, can have significant long-term impact on this part of the country. I hope that my efforts will be taken seriously. I cannot envision any productive future for Afghanistan unless the people of Afghanistan rise up and take responsibility for their nation. They cannot do that without some mechanism for holding accountable those who do not wish to participate. I really want to see this country succeed because I do not want my kids to have to finish what I started.