No, I don't believe that there is an ulterior motive behind everything, though self-interest generally prevails.
It is in both ours and the Iraqi people's self-interest to have democracy and freedom in Iraq. It is against the self-interest of the Syrians, the terrorists, the Islamic fundamentalists, the Saudis, Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, many of the Irqai Sunnis, Ansar al-Islam, Hizbollah, the former Iraqi Baathist thugs, the Iranians, and, to some extent, Turkey, for democracy and freedom to gain a toehold in Iraq.
The forces arrayed against our success and that of the fledgling democrats in Iraq are indeed formidable.
But it is in our immediate and long term self-interest for Iraq to be a democracy, which is why I oppose any thought of abandoning it.
Anyone who doesn't think that we are in an existential and long-term struggle with Islamofascism is deluded. We are unlikely to see the end of it during our lifetime. Our children will live through it as will their children. Part of the war of ideas I advocate we fight vigorously and which we we have to win involves suggesting a viable alternative to Sharia and a Caliphate.
The Islamofascists ideas are bankrupt. They demand obeisance, they are degrading of women, they are anti-progressive, they are brutal, and they are authoritarian. Everything we believe in is antithetical to their aims and values. As I believe that freedom and democracy are rational choices for rational people, it seems obvious to me that we should win this struggle without too much fuss.
But we are not winning because they are much more focused and devoted to their causes than we are. They are formidable adversaries. We have the arms and the ideas while they win, hands down, the battle of perseverance.
We have to show them that they cannot win either the battle of ideas or the combat. We are probably ahead in the physical battle. It is my thesis that we are falling behind in the battle of ideas, where the battle for the allegiance of the mostly moderate Muslims will be fought. If we don't win this battle, future generations are doomed. We owe it to them to win it.
This is the larger context of the Iraqi problem, one we cannot ever forget. |
