In a nutshell, I appreciate your points. I just think it is a lost cause. I may sound depraved, or heartless, but I don't really care about Iraqis, at least not enough to expend our resources indefinitely to do what's best for them.
Iraq is never going to be like the US. Let's leave it to the vaunted silent majority to take over as a voice of reason. The violent ones do speak for the rest of them - they always seem to. I must have missed the massive muslim protests against terrorism - (not in foreign countries - they mostly would not be allowed - but in America and Europe)By and large it seems idealistic and naive to think anything we do will change it. It wil be the same in 10 years no matter what we do...
If I thought it would work, I'd be all for it. I don't think it will.
Basically, I don't "care about" Iraqis per se either. What I care about is that the power/geographical base that is the nation-state of Iraq does not get taken over by another madman with megalomaniacal, expansionist designs and who causes us problems. (And who, like I believe Saddam was doing, uses his wealth and power to wage proxy war against us.) So, to prevent that from happening, I understand the necessity of an occupation force.
It would be even better, of course, to try to help the people create and then safeguard a reasonably sane consensual government. I understand that may not work, but so what? It's worth a shot, long as we're there.
Iraq is never going to be like the US.
Straw man. Who in the world wanted to make it "like the US"?
Let's leave it to the vaunted silent majority to take over as a voice of reason.
Let's be very clear about what you're talking about:
silent majority = millions of innocent civilians who wish to live in peace
"Let's leave it to" them = let's abandon them entirely to the attacks of terrorists, infiltrators, fascists, and zealot thugs
And, because... why? Because you're tired of seeing it on TV, right? Because you want to be able to start watching different TV shows with happier, wrapped-up endings?
The violent ones do speak for the rest of them - they always seem to.
Yes, they do always seem to, in the eyes of Westerners with this strange affliction I'm talking about. That's what I'm complaining about.
I must have missed the massive muslim protests against terrorism - (not in foreign countries - they mostly would not be allowed - but in America and Europe)
So let's stipulate there haven't been massive Muslim protests against terrorism in America and Europe. What's that got to do with whether we should abandon innocent Iraqis to fascists pull out?
It wil be the same in 10 years no matter what we do...
To some extent I agree with you, in that the control is largely in the hands of the Iraqi polity, they have the most influence.
But you're missing one big thing. What it's like there in 10 years depends hugely on whether we wimp out and just let some fascists take over for these short-attention-span reasons people keep bringing up....