Bush offensive runs up against immovable truth

The bottom line is that this isn’t a Democrat/Republican/Conservative/Liberal issue - It's a basic human law that you can neither give someone freedom, nor force them to be free - The corollary to this law is that if you do try to force it on them, you must be prepared to deal with the results.

Many people, the administration included, expected our troops to be welcomed with open arms, by folks waving flags and dropping flowers at our feet. They expected the Iraqi people to immediately understand and adopt representative government, eschewing their various religious beliefs to the altar of republicanism. When that didn't happen, the wheels came off.

So we've tried to force freedom and "democratic principles" in an area where ruling with an iron fist is the only thing that kept these people from each others throats since the country was formed after world war two. In the process, we've come face to face with the corollary above, and we've blinked.

Short of instituting a US-controlled police state, there is no way the country of Iraq does not splinter along religious lines at some point in the future. Of course we could have an Iraqi-run secular government there that keeps the religious fanatics at bay...but it would look pretty stupid of us to demand that after just deposing such a government...

Someone summed it up nicely earlier: We went to drain the swamp, but it turned out they liked their swamp just fine...

Col Sanders

The Japanese were DEFEATED and had no choice.

Wrong. They had a choice and they chose to abide by the message of their Living God, the Emperor, who TOLD them to cooperate and they did. Had they chose not to listen to their Emperor, there would have been an insurrection.

My point was that a society that was once much different CAN change and become a civil, successful and contributing nation. But the people have to choose that path. We have given the Iraqis the opportunity to choose that path. Some are choosing not to. Many that are choosing not to are funded, supplied and represented by Syria, Iran and Al-Qaeda. If anything, we have to expand to battle and tell Iran and Syria, IN A VERY PUBLIC STATEMENT, to stay the hell out of Iraq or face retaliation strikes.

If the Iraqi leadership and people don't pick up the ball and run with it, it's a failure that belongs to Iraq.

I agree with your posts on this thread...
I believe OUR troops do NOT belong in the middle of a "civil war"!!!

Iraq is the Iraqis' country, and if they prefer to continue as they have, let them do it by themselves! Their choice is civil war and chaos.

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