[theknife]

Originally Posted by Mazer

And to be clear, I never saw things the way the neocons did. They thought the war in Iraq was some kind of geopolitical strategy to decrease oil prices, globalize the reigion, and eventually infiltrate Iraq and its neighbors with American style capitalism. Now that they're begining to realize their presumptions were wrong from the start they want to bury thier heads in the sand and pretend none of this ever happened. So why doesn't Bush start backpedaling like the other neocons? The answer is because he isn't a neocon and he never was. And I can just see the increduous look on your face now but it's true.

no, i could easily believe that Bush isn't really a neocon, because i think Bush doesn't really have the critical thinking skills to arrive at a political philosophy on his own. i just think his own messianic complex dovetailed neatly with the neocon philosophy of those he surrounded himself with (his father's crew, as it were) - they needed a puppet, he needed a movement. but he can't backpedal because he bet everything on this race and the horses have long since left the gate.

What we're witnessing in Iraq are the growing pains of a burgeoning democracy. The fact that Iraq didn't automatically revert to civil war after this bombing and the violence that insued demonstrates an incredible level of self restraint and their resolve to remain civilized. I know that those of you who thought failure was a foregone conclusion from the start will never believe it until you see it. Well my friends I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a few decades, and by then I might not be around to say I told you so, not that I would. There are some in Iraq who are ungreatful for this war just as there are in the United States, but they're diehard conservatives and that ain't a bad thing. Iraq will need those people to preserve Iraq's heritage and national identity in the years to come. The forces of globalization will come down upon Iraq and they must resist the temptation to become more like us, so when I read about Iraqis resisting I'm actually glad, so long as they resist peacfully. We haven't won over their hearts and minds, we never needed to; they'll eventually come to understand that they can govern themselves and still be themselves.

i don't necessarily disagree with any of this but i feel strongly, as i always have, that the iraqis have to figure this thing out for themselves and there is no good reasons why americans have to die while they do. that being said, i think your understandiing of why we are there and what our intentions are is naive - we are building permanent bases there because we intend to stay. the goal is not liberation but hegemony.