I do too. Sharif is right. Democracy is the exception and there must be certain social/cultural antecedents for it to take root.
Yes, Iraq has had succesful elections. But, will they have them after we leave?
Iraq might at best be a constitutional republic/autocracy
nation building only appears to work in choesive nationalistic cultures that have been brought to their knees or if they truly want it and are willing to fight for it
Iraqis are not fighting for democracy, they are fighting for power.
I agree as well. I think it is actually arrogant to think that we are going to force “democracy” everywhere in the world. It also ignores, as others have pointed out, that democracy is innate to a particular culture. We are not “Western” just as a result of living in the United States.