[tanuki]

That needs to be stated strongly-much of the need for our imposing order, security and basic services now is because these things had virtually disappeared for the average citizen under the unlamented Saddam. That is the true nature of the criminal regime that so-called progressives and humanitarians around the world embrace in damning our efforts.

[Steve_Seattle]

Many of our problems in Iraq stem from the fact that a society that lived under the arbitrary rule of dictatorship for several decades is not really ready for democracy and freedom; quite literally, they don't know how to do it, they don't understand it, they can't even imagine it, in many cases. That is why this has been so hard. The way they are learning it is - ironically - through their recent cooperation with the U.S. military.

Through this cooperation they are learning about altruism, cooperation among ethnic and religious groups (American soldiers are black/white/Catholic/Protestant/Jewish/atheist), and that we are not there to steal their oil but to give them an unprecedented opportunity for a better life than they ever had.