> Red state folks are not going to forget Germany's betrayal.
which betrayal? you faked yourself some reasons for attacking iraq (take powell's word for it). we didn't fall for it. you hear our arguments against the war. you still decide to leave afghanistan half-finished and invade a country only held together by its dictator.
this war is stupid and though i wish you luck because democracy would sure be better for iraq, there are several reasons (ethnic groups, religious extremism, US bridgehead to middle east) why i think you will not be able to stabilize this land. and this was plain to see before the war.
and you're already looking for betrayers, for reasons why iraq doesn't work out. we just said what we thought about the plans. if the US had developed some civilian strategy for taking over iraq administration BEFORE the invasion, there would perhaps not have been so much looting, but electricity and water in the first weeks.
but criminal incompetence is not betrayal, so keep searching europe for reasons your middle east adventure isn't running well.
yeah, and what do you find? germany. it's terribly easy to tell a german he betrayed the american way (or whatever we betrayed by speaking our mind freely). just visit him in afghanistan finishing your half-done war. or leave the american military plane on your trip to iraq while it is refueling in germany and tell them that the lack of support is a betrayal. we don't expect anything else from you.
A bit too smug.
Had Germany said "we don't agree, we're not joining you on this one" that would have been disappointing but understandable. Instead, Schroeder ran on a vicious anti-American campaign, appealing to the worst German nationalist instincts. Twice. That's the betrayal.
That said, America will not win or fail in Iraq based on teh decision of Germany or France (or Spain) to join or not. Our success or failure will depend entirely on the will power of the American people to see this through - amid conscious attempts by the worldwide left to undermine that will power.
In terms of the aftermath of the war, you have fallen into the trap of thinking everything was fine in Iraq before the invasion. Looting and electricity/water failures did not start with the American invasion. Hussein and his family/cronies looted that country for years. He used utility cutoffs to specific areas of the country (especially Shiite areas) as a punishment and intimidation tool. If anything, its gotten a lot better there. Know how I can tell? Because the left-wing media don't report on shortages anymore (they wouldn't actually report good news, but an absence of bad news is meaningful).
Like I said earlier in the post - if Europeans would just say "we think you are wrong" that's disappointing but understanable. But to taunt smugly from the sidelines while doing nothing about the worldwide threat of islamofacism is failure of principle that won't be forgotten. Good luck with the French the next time you need help.