I don't think the average American can even begin to understand how difficult it is for the average Iraqi to take advantage of what our invasion and overthrow of Saddam makes possible for them. It will take decades for them to overcome the absolute fear they lived under for generations.
Living in the 7th century is much more debilitating than any of us can imagine. Heck, I have culture shock when I go to visit my wife's kinfolk in rural Alabama.
We probably spent way too little time and effort early on working with them to help them adjust to the idea of life without Saddam. Much of Iraq was probably very much like New Orleans at the time of Katrina. The population had become so dependent on being told what to do when, where to do it and how to do it that without that guidance they were able to little more than sit on the roofs of their flooded substandard housing and wait for help.
I think had I been calling the shots I would have started with one very small part of Iraq and made it what a 21st century area should be like. Things like electricity 24-hours-a-day, running water, sewer treatment, paved roads, etc. Of course that would include the provision of sufficient security that people in the area could enjoy the benefits of post 7th century life. Then I would have slowly expanded the area as conditions permitted.
Well, that's all happening and at a faster clip now that the terrorists aren't blasting everything in sight to Kingdom Come on a daily basis anymore. It still won't happen overnight, but it's moving forward.
The problem with starting with one small part of the country is that it would have caused a lot of resentment from the rest. You'd have had squabbles and perhaps worse over which part of the country would have gotten those benefits first, coupled with fears that we would withdraw before getting to the other provinces or areas.
But it's working now and the Iraqis are learning all kinds of new technology and they're learning enthusiastically.
Great plan, it also sounds like what a friend of ours said they have been doing in Iraq. Securing an area, restoring power and other utilities, getting the hospitals and schools going- encouraging businesses to open, providing jobs and expanding this to other areas as security allowed. Many of the areas we have done this with haven’t had these services since before Sadam took control. He controlled areas that he didn’t think supported him by denying them any services. This is what we are doing in Iraq, as much as possible with some great success stories- the media won’t tell you about it though.