Wow. Interesting analysis - points I've never heard voiced before.

It would've been sufficient to have understood how correct Tocqueville was, or for that matter Aquinas and Aristotle, on the psychology of despotism and the effects of habitual submission to central authority. Pusillanimity, fear, lack of will, corruption, vice of all kinds is the result.

Can you say Katrina?

Dumb Ox

John Burns, even if he is with the NYTimes, I believe, is on the the best, fairest reporters out there. (But some days..his hair gets a little wild..:) )

Very insightful comments

Could this be the beginning of a trend?

Is it possible that people who spend time in Baghdad have begun to comprehend that they risk making themselves irrelevant by sticking to the old narrative of incompetence, stupidity and defeat? That victory is indeed at the very least one of the possible outcomes?

Why are the fatalists getting so much mileage out of their advocacy of doom?

I guess what gets to me the most is the implicit argument that "Gosh, I guess we shouldn't have gone in because now we realize just how messy it is despite the fact, that, yes, it really was hell on earth. But what's a 'mother' to do? Sigh."

I guess it is just me but I'd much rather be a wetnurse to sickly freedom than a diner at a despot's hateful banquet.