There's a reason why the U.S. doesn't lay waste to enemies like Iraq. The whole purpose of these nation-building campaigns is to establish and prop up governments so we can do business with them -- and destroying a country kind of defeats the whole purpose of that.
I understand your concern about sealing the borders at war and think you are right and Bush was wrong there. But unlike you I can separate the two. Attacks on American interests had been escalating for decades. The perps wer in Iraq and Afghanistan. I don’t buy the war for oil bs if that’s what you are getting at. We have more than enough energy sources in America to be self sufficient. Of course we don’t have the will and as far as trusting politicians the only thing I trust that they will do is sell their souls to be re-elected. Though there are exceptions. Duncan Hunter for one.