Vanished Optimism
The Diplomat published an opinion piece by Noah Coburn about the decreasing confidence many Afghans feel for their government and the possibility of change.
He writes: "While many Afghans in 2014 were optimistic about the potential for reform, economic growth, and increased stability, over the past three years, most of this optimism has vanished. In particular, almost all interviewees voiced frustration about the ways in which political leaders have become less responsive to their needs."
Coburn, who has been researching Afghanistan since 2007, raises another point as well: "It [is] less clear what the role of American troops would be in supporting a government that has been increasingly perceived as illegitimate by the Afghan public."
Coburn is also the author of two books, Bazaar Politics (2011) and Losing Afghanistan (2016).