Wow. Prolonged?? Do you know how long we 'occupied' Germany and Japan? And how do you suppose Germany and Japan came to have democracies after they were run by dictators and emperors whom we deposed?
Oh...........and you need to do some research into the Saddam documents if you don't think he was a threat to us.
Your knowledge of history and current affairs is astoundingly weak. I certainly hope you didn't get your education in Ohio public schools......
Germany and Japan are major powers. They each had techinical skills that rivalled our own. The average IQ in Germany is slightly over 100, in Japan about 107. The average IQ in Iraq is in the 80s. If you think that Iraq could ever be the threat to America that Germany and Japan were, you are delusional.
That said, the major reason we have staid all those years in Germany and Japan was connected with the Cold War.
As for Democracy? Germany had a Democracy before Hitler. Indeed, that was how Hitler gained power. He helped found the biggest vote getting Party.
Democracy was never the American goal in 1776, nor in 1787 (with the Constitution). Why don't you read what James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution," had to say about "Democracy." (Or do you think that George Bush is even in the same league as Madison, as an "intellect?")
Correction. We never "deposed the Japanese emperor. Despite the fact that he was depicted him as on a par with Hitler during the war, Truman sensibly overruled his New Deal advisors who demanded unconditional surrender and accepted the Japanese condition that Hirohito be kept on his throne.
As to democracy, as Ohioan points out Germany (unlike Iraq) had recent experience with this system in the Weimar Republic. Japan did too though to a much more limited extent in the 1920s. Interestingly, we let the Japanese vote in all-Japan elections in 1946 (less than a year after Hiroshima) under their pre-war constitution!!!