People thought the Iraq occupation went on too long, because they were comparing it to length of declared wars. But building a stable political culture takes more than a few years.
If the Ottomans were still there, it would be a different matter. But they aren't, and the USA insists on playing hegemon in the region, even though we're not well-placed geographically for it.
So, if we're going to be propping up something in Iraq anyway, let's build up a thing we can believe in. Build schools, build hospitals, go native like the British East India Company, and lock up any religious radicals who disagree.
But of course, the USA is not a corporation that is set up to do that. :(
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Date: 17/8/14 11:14 (UTC)People thought the Iraq occupation went on too long, because they were comparing it to length of declared wars. But building a stable political culture takes more than a few years.
If the Ottomans were still there, it would be a different matter. But they aren't, and the USA insists on playing hegemon in the region, even though we're not well-placed geographically for it.
So, if we're going to be propping up something in Iraq anyway, let's build up a thing we can believe in. Build schools, build hospitals, go native like the British East India Company, and lock up any religious radicals who disagree.
But of course, the USA is not a corporation that is set up to do that. :(