>>The Islamic extremists hated us before...before Iraq, before Afghanistan, before 9/11. And they will continue to do so unless the imbalance between haves and have-nots over there is solved. Democracy is the only way that the Arab street is going to get a grip on their problems. Someone has to help them build it.
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>Dan, I recognize that reasonable people can disagree. But I could not disagree with you more here. In what way have we improved things in Iraq? In what way is there more democracy than there was 2.5 years ago? So we forced a sham election that confirmed the ethnic/religious percentages of the Iraqi population. This government will not hold and the country will dissolve in civil war the moment we depart. Some accomplishment.
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>It was foolish in the extreme to think that a mistrusted foreign power would introduce democracy to a region that has no tradition of democracy whatsoever. At gunpoint. Oh, THAT will sway some hearts and minds.

Mike;

Look at what the Spanish Conquistadors did to liberate the Americas! It was improper for the Conquistadors to engage in battle with the Native Americans until a priest “baptized” the natives. A priest would stand upon a hill overlooking the proposed field of battle and say these words: “Por Santiago y Dios”! With those words the natives were considered baptized and therefore worthy of killing.

Thus the Native Americans were civilized and freed from the slavery imposed upon them by their Aztec and Inca masters. Think of all the fun we have had being involved with politics of the Americas? Why not the world? :)


Tom