Quote Originally Posted by Ray View Post
State building is important. It will never be ideal, but like it or not, the locals do appreciate anything that is done by anyone to improve their life. However, what matters is that it does not impinge on their customs, traditions or religion. That is why the Indians, though initially attacked by the Talibans from Pakistan, were not attacked thereafter and could complete the 215-km long Delaram-Zaranj highway and hand it over to Afghanistan.
Road building isn't state building. If you try to install, cultivate, or protect a government in another country, especially one where control of patronage is a major source of individual prosperity and power, you are going to upset people and generate opposition, no matter what you do.