[Harmless Teddy Bear]

the United States is the first global hegemon whose natural instinct is to load up the SUV and go to the beach.

:looks down guiltily at sunscreen and towel.:

Nonetheless, that's one reason why they're relatively relaxed about Iraq. If the Iraqis want a free society badly enough, they'll stick with it; if they don't and they take the easy option of falling for some benign strongman, that's their problem, not America's.

Kind of my feeling.

While this might be philosophically admirable, the practical drawback is that power abhors a vacuum. If America won't export its values – self-reliance, decentralization – others will export theirs.

The problem is how to export it. The British "exported" if you will, their ideas by taking over and forcing them on everybody. Except in a few very select cases when the British pulled out their systems quickly were abandon. Same with the USSR. A system was imposed by force and fell apart once the force was removed.

[A Longer Name]

Same with the USSR.

In some places, yes. In others, no. For many people Communism was very attractive. Still is.

[expatpat]

if they don't and they take the easy option of falling for some benign strongman, that's their problem, not America's.

Love Steyn, but it IS America's problem, look at Saddam, Mullah Omar of Afghanistan, Khameini of Iran.

[expatpat]

...when the British pulled out their systems quickly were abandon[ed]

Not really true. Look at the three biggest: India, Canada, Australia.