The world will soon be rid of this madman and the evil party he ruled with an iron fist. The world will soon see for their own eyes how this one Stalinist entity has subjugated, tortured, and enslaved millions of decent people who deserve a chance to see their children grow up in a terror free environment.
The light of liberty is approaching this embattled land. The sun is beginning to rise over more than 20 million people for the first time in decades. And all you seem to see are problems, mistakes and negative consequences.
I think Steve's analysis was fairly accurate. I don't think he mentioned that the military also got to test its weaponry under live conditions and the US economy got a positive consumption jolt that may help turn around its decline for a couple of quarters, which I think were factored into the equation of the planners.
Granted, the Iraqis get the freedom from Hossein's boot, but I don't hope for an overnight democracy because I doubt most of the fellas likely to be elected top dog would be Fred Rogers neighborly to us, or towards Israel.
If a nearterm democracy was easy to achieve, Hossein would have been eliminated in 91, but it was quite clear then that Bush the Elder and most Arab leaders were convinced things would be worse if Hossein was removed. Clearly, the goal here is not a democratically elected leader, but a puppet.
The American military is skillfully taking out Saddam's forces piece by piece in the most humane way possible. They are giving the world a clinic in how to compassionately manage war, against an evil dictator who held millions hostage for decades.
Skillful, yes. Managing a war to reduce civilian casualties is positive, but it doesn't pass muster as compassionate. War can't.
No evil dictator holds millions hostage without the consent of tens of thousands of assistants. Most of them will be around after regime change, eager to 'help' again. Just like the warlords of Afghanistan are helping there.
I see a few positives, but more reasons for pessimism. Chief among these is the conviction that a group of hamfisted bunglers who have mismanaged everything else now have two nations to mismanage.
The prosecution of the war does not succeed by their skill, but on the skills of our professional military. |
