(09-07-2020, 12:18 AM)flsprtsgod Wrote:

(09-06-2020, 08:39 PM)mikesez Wrote: That's essentially what we did. We just spread it out over 8 years. Iraq shares a border with four countries that speak the same language and two more that share its religion.  None of them helped.  If we had tried to occupy and rebuild Germany while France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Poland were all opposing our efforts, it would have gone about as well.

No, we dumped trillions of dollars into trying to build a democracy there. We should've taken 30 days, and as I said, flattened the place and came home.

Well, we had to leave someone in charge. And we had to make sure that whoever or whatever we left in charge could credibly wield power and stay in charge.  They're still operating under their 2005 constitution and they've had many free and fair, internationally monitored elections.  Now, the voters seem to be picking candidates based on who is going to give members of their tribe cushy government jobs, but, that's at least better than us picking their leaders, and it's certainly better than Iran picking them.

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