I can’t question the wisdom of taking out Saddam and his evil sons and assorted other thugs. As they say out West, there’s just some folks that need killin’.
The experiment in nation-building is another story altogether and we are a long way from knowing how that story turns out. I’m a pessimist by nature, and I believe we we be involved in some kind of insurgency before the end of the decade.
But the key issue isn’t how many troops we have in Iraq or even whether the experiment in Iraqi democracy succeeds. What does matter is our overall ability to project power into the Middle East.
I just hope that the next time the balloon goes up in the desert we finally say “enough” and unleash HELL on the barbarians. Seizing the Saudi oil fields, and leveling Mecca and Medina with conventional explosives would be a great start.
But I’m afraid that we’ve become too cowardly to defend ourselves, even though we have the wherewithal many times over.
I agree. But we should have replaced him with a system and leader far more Western liberal and friendly to America.
" But I’m afraid that we’ve become too cowardly to defend ourselves, even though we have the wherewithal many times over."
I agree with this too. But we need to get our political values right. More liberty and individual rights and less democracy and self-rule.