PESSIMIST'S LAMENT . . .

I don' t think the seed of Jeffersonian democracy will flourish in the middle east for a couple of decades. Democracy in its infancy is fragile. Expect rampant corruption and periodic assassinations. Before I go further, let me say that this is all preferable to Saddam. I supported the war, with or without UN blessing, and was frustrated as hell that they let pointless inspectors in again - I think we in the US over-estimate how our Iraqi friends will recieve us in liberation. The frustration on the street will be exploited into political power by clerics soon/now. There are also moderate, trade-minded Iraqi's who may get trampled here.

In the long term I whole-hearTedly agree about freedoms not being easy to put away once ignited. I just want to see the US set more realisitc expectations about what it will take (time/$$/blood) to make Iraq "look good" internationally over time, and develop a broader US consensus/political will to accept the inevitable criticism that will arise from seeing this through. It isn't that it's easy to be the superpower - its just that we ARE the superpower; there's no one else to enforce the rules. Just don't expect to be loved - the attempts to portray Iraqis as primarily just grateful to America for getting Saddam out is naive and contains an element of wishful thinking. We took the country and now the problems are ours until/unless we find a way to extricate ourselves.