>>>We'll have to wait and see. In 10-20 years we'll be able to look at Iraq and better understand the implications of our course of action. Until then it's all just bytes in the ether.
>>>
>>>Perhaps the "course of action" will have resulted in another Middle Eastern generation that regards the US as the "great satan" and has graduated from Semtex to Plutonium as the only way they can see to give their lives meaning. Or perhaps Iraq will have become a peaceful democracy allied to the West. Either way, all that matters today is that we look strong.
>>
>>It is not the entire generation who hate us. It is a tiny, vocal and media savy minority.
>>
>>Let us both honestly hope that scenario #2 prevails.
>>
>>Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are what matter. To that end freedom, democracy and civil rights must be striven for and achieved for there to be any lasting peace in this world. We're talking about following through with a course of action we belive will achieve this result. We're not talking about 'looking' or 'acting' strong. This is not a playground game of the dozens, this is the fate of millions of people.
>
>So these countries are practise for CHINA's later undoing?
>No one, not the U.S., not the U.K., not the Germans, not the French, not Canada, not anyone else, seems the least bit interested in pushing "freedom, democracy and civil rights" on China, yet their people have NONE OF THOSE.
>The fate of over a BILLION is never discussed, yet sending more and more jobs to them is a prized objective. Something don't add up!

Agreed.