Afghan Women for Hillary

Ok, that's it. Screw Iowa. The most important moment of the 2008 campaign has just occurred with the announcement of the formation of 'Afghan Women for Hillary.'

In all seriousness, I think that having Obama be elected would be a really great thing for the country--maybe it would help us put all the racial crap aside for a time, and do some real connecting/heeling between the races. Imagine...

But for the world, it seems to me that Hillary is a much bigger deal. As I travel around a bit, I continue to be amazed over how difficult life is for women--and nowhere more so than here. The election of Hillary would be HUGE for the women in Afghanistan, and I expect for women around the world.

But what about Margaret Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto, and Angela Merkel you say? Well, that's nice. But the President of the US is the President of the world. Every newscast around the world leads with the US President. (I can hear George now--'well, who knew?') Unfortunately, the difference between the US and the rest of the world is that when the President says some stupid like 'dead or alive' or 'on the hunt' or 'bring it on' Americans (at least those of us that aren't Bamas) know it's just a wannabe-cowboy talking. But the rest of the world actually listens to that blather, and say 'holy shit, what's up with that?' (Which I am trying to learn in Dari). The world listens to the President, for better or worse. It would be nice if, just for a bit, it would be better, and it would be a woman.

If it is Hillary, or any woman for that matter, standing up there speaking to the world, women and girls around the world would have a spokesman, someone they could look up to. And maybe, just maybe, some guy out there would give his wife just a bit of respect and make her life a little easier, and let his daughter learn to read and write, and not sell her off into 'marriage' when she was 13. Just maybe, the world would be a bit better place.