So, Just How Bad Is It in Iraq? as per Christian Science Monitor

LSSpam said
You don't understand my point. I don't have the patience to explain it.

I understand your point perfectly.

You reject any historical, societal or cultural determinism. If we just wait a little while the Iraqis will learn to play nice, regardless of the cost to us.

I'm not rejecting the idea that the society there will continue to evolve and may eventually resemble something stable and tolerant. I reject the idea that we can afford to be there for the amount of time it takes for that process to happen and that the process can take its natural path as long as we are there meddling in it. Particularly with the current massive footprint. There are other ways to be effectively engaged short of direct occupation.

You are citing examples of things that took centuries. Nations like Germany that had to go through tremendously violent, bloody and disruptive upheavals to reach the state of a cooperative and tolerant unified nation.

Iraq is very early in that process and it is going to take decades minimum. More than another decade at the current level of commitment is going to do us in. It's not sustainable.

All sorts of bills are coming due in the next 5-10 years coincident with retiring the baby boom generation and maintaining and updating this country's physical infrastructure. Iraq is going force real quality of life choices for Americans because we can't pay for it all.

Part of the reason the dollar is free-falling is because of the smoke and mirrors fiscal and monetary policy we have been running for decades in order to finance the empire. Strains on the system are getting severe and Iraq is only going to hasten the reckoning.

So, we have a choice to make. There are large opportunity costs to staying in Iraq. In one sense we are allowing ourselves to be financially bled just as Bin Laden said he'd like to do.

You're welcome, Osama.