Iraq May Be Stable, But the War Was a Mistake (Fukuyama Endorses Obama)

Wall Street Journal ^ | 8/15/2008 | Francis "the end of history" Fukuyama

[mojito]

Sometime in May 2003, shortly after U.S. forces had taken Baghdad and President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier under the banner "Mission Accomplished," an old friend remarked that he thought the war was going pretty well so far. I shook my head and said I thought we were in for trouble.

I bet him that day that Iraq would be a mess in five years' time, a mess being defined as "you'll know it when you see it." I mentioned this bet to Bret Stephens three years later. He'd reviewed my book, "America at the Crossroads" in this newspaper, accusing me, among other things, of turning against the war only when public opinion had shifted. Mr. Stephens wanted to take the wager himself. And as he wrote in his column earlier this month, I conceded that he'd won by the narrow terms of the wager.

Iraq was a mess by any definition from the fall of 2003 to the beginning of this year. It is entirely possible that it will return to being a mess in the coming months and years. But I paid $100 to Mr. Stephens because a tremendous amount of progress has been made stabilizing Iraq as a result of President Bush's surge -- which has allowed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to establish control over Baghdad and much of southern Iraq.

Though Iraq remains a very troubled country, virtually all of the trend lines -- Iraqi and U.S. casualties, government provision of basic services, and the ability of Iraqi forces to provide order -- have been moving in a positive direction for the past year.

What I absolutely did not concede, however, was the fact that this change meant that the war itself was worth it.

[mojito]

Yes, the US won the war. And Francis was for it before he was against it.

Come on Francis, we know that you're now against the war because the war proved your cornball theory was just that.

And to top it off, he endorses Obama at the end of this piece. Because Obama is all for "soft power" and global citizenship.

Oh Brave New World, that has such people in it.

[Unlikely Hero]

Isn’t he the “End of History” dope?

[mojito]

The very one.

[vladimir998]

Fuku Fukuyama

[avacado]

Dear Mr. Francis “the end of history” Fukuyama,

President Bush enters office Jan 2001:

State sponsors of terror: Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, N. Korea, Syria, Iran

President Bush leaves office Jan 2009

No longer State sponsors of terror: Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, N. Korea

And Israel and the US just destroyed Syria’s plutonium enrichment reactors and Iran is pinned in on both sides by what are now US allies: Iraq & Afghanistan.

Thank you GWB! Steadfast leadership during difficult times and the world is indeed safer!

[denydenydeny]

This has been a great week for your “end of history” thesis, Francis. That Obama endorsement really carries a lot of weight.

[SolidWood]

So Fukuyama is a Fluky-for-Obama. He was wrong with his “end of history” nonsense, flip-flopped on being a “neocon” or not (he was one, when it was unknown and cooool, and denounced them when they became the liberals favorite smear against anyone pro-Defense).

[djsherin]

He makes an interesting argument. I happen to agree with him to an extent about Iraq not being the right war, but then he throws his support to Obama, and that is something I could NEVER do.

What I like about this article though is that it shows that one can be against the war, but believe that we are making progress in Iraq (the surge worked).

[Slapshot68]

I’m worried that Saddam and his sons might one day try to re-take power.

Oh wait....

[Old Sarge]

Lighten up, Francis.

[Eagles6]

"If you don't believe this, ask yourself whether Congress would ever have voted to authorize the war in 2002 if it knew there was no WMD"

Has this a$$ no shame? I've known people like this, they look you squarely in the eye and lie to you, knowing full well that you are aware that they are lying to you.

[Nonstatist]

What I like about this article though is that it shows that one can be against the war, but believe that we are making progress in Iraq (the surge worked).

Except that Fukuyama was for the war before he was agin it.. He's a typical "pundit" ; he is in love with the sound of his own typewriter.

[frankjr]

Fukuyama? Who? Does he play for the Chicago Cubs?

[McGruff]

Fukuyama? I thought he surrendered after WWII.

[imintrouble]

Well that was a hoot - as if Obama has anything planned ahead for his proposed acquisition of the White House at all!

It will take years to sort out the lies from the reality of what this Novice has planned (if anything), for our future.

Internationally - he is words only - no substance.

Pretender to the throne!!

[djsherin]

I did not realize that. That article as an isolated commentary isn’t bad, but I suppose it would make him entirely hypocritical given his initial stance. Oh well, just another lame commentator.

[Helotes]

I’m ready. Let’s start totaling up the pros and cons of the Iraq war.

[ASA Vet]

Francis probably would not have liked my proposed 9/12/01 solution to the Middle East problem.

[mojito]

Saddam was just biding his time.

We would have had to face him down sooner or later. What if Saddam were still in power and getting rich off oil revenues? What kind of geostrategic reality would we face now with an aggressive Iraq, sanctions ended no doubt, and producing WMDs on a industrial scale, like the Iranians?

Personally, I'm glad we did so sooner.

[jveritas]

Amen.