Premise #1: Muslims are not capable of making Democracy work
Thus, the only circumstances under which I would support staying in Iraq are:
Premise #2: we can use "dumb" technology and level the whole country, "good" and "bad" Iraqis together
If we haven't reached that point (and I do not think we have), then we shouldn't have our militay in Iraq.
I would humbly submit that neoconservatives need to go back to first principles.
Amen!!!!! I find it ironic that so many FReepers probably said the same thing about nation building when it came to Haiti and Somalia, but once a Pubbie was in the WH, it became a perfect legitimate mission for the military. IOW, what's good for the Pubbie goose isn't good for the Rat gander.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
--Neoconservatism is an aberration--
We'll never know. Most "neocons" left (or had already left) the Administration after the 2004 elections. They were probably dissatisfied that their plan had NOT been fully implemented, due to opposition by Powell and the rest of the State Dept.
The only direction to go after the fall of Baghdad was forward (i.e. into Damascus). After Assad saw that "insurgents" were able to enter Iraq from Syria with impunity, and Iran felt emboldened to prop up Sadr et al., the Coalition's momentum was stopped in its tracks.
Now, the only solution to Iraq may be regime change (not necessarily by military means)in Tehran and Damascus. The only Americans in government with the guts to support such policies would be appropriately called "NEO-NEOCONS". They may yet emerge; the next decade will be "interesting" to say the least.
As ISOLATIONISTS, Republicans wallowed in the depths of powerlessness and looked even more stupid than usual. If you want to go back to those bad old days, with the likes of Pat Buchanan, realize that this is the twenety-first century...not the 18th! And if it weren't for "nation building", Japan and Europe would never have recovered from WW II on their own.
Premise #1: Muslims are not capable of making Democracy work
I tend to agree with you on that point my friend.
I believe that if you're gong to fight everyone has to die , everything has to be destroyed ( as in dresden ) otherwise it drags on forever . Americans never stood by long wars.