"My problem is perhaps that I'm too much of a democrat for this time of the country's life."

The article focuses on Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, and the challenge of instability that his country faces. The nation suffers from the continuing Taliban insurgency, opium harvesting and trafficking, shortages in electricity, water and jobs, and corruption in the ranks of the government. Afghanistan has seen some improvements in human rights and development since Karzai's election. The President's position is tenuous, but vital for the fledgling democracy.