Well, regarding rotation? Yes, some will come home. Many more will be bonused into staying.
I understand what you're thinking, Hawk. And it would be very, very great to have democracy in the region. But I'm a bit bothered by the fact the US is attempting to rely on dictators to get this democracy and that the US threatens to punish the one democracy which, because of its democracy, won't go along.
I don't think using the surrounding dictators in order to bring democracy to the country in the middle is a wise policy. In fact, it smacks of hypocrisy.
My best bet is less than 10 percent odds of succeeding.
But, more realistically speaking, it won't matter whether democracy gets installed or not. Bush is banking he'll get reelection, over the bad US economy, because he'll be credited with 'taking out' Saddam. And, even if this doesn't happen, the good ole' oil boy (plus one, Condelezza) network, both within and without of this Admnistration, will rake it in nicely. And some of that money will be used to [s]elect the next Bush type.
What I think ultimately it'll all come down to is: Who really cares about democracy, and who really cares--in a worst case scenario--that another Stalingrad might happen. |
