One thing that has been bothering me of late, is that people don't really seem to get what this coming war is all about. It is not about getting rid of a ruthless dictator, or even taking his oil from him and breaking Opec's back. Yes, those would be good things, but the truth is that we are trying to break the back of the radical Islamic movement. It is a societal war, our way is better then your way. The thought is that once we get a democracy in Iraq, that eventually Iran & the other countries that are primarily Islamic will follow. The Iranian people are crying out for freedom, heck most people that are under Islamic rule are crying out for freedom, and what better way for us to help them then to simply show them some freedoms on their own doorstep. The countries that are opposing this war have traditionally been very cautious in declaring war, with the exception of Germany, and their whole mindset is tainted by the 20th century. In fact, one could argue that the USA and it's allies see a budding Hitler in Saddam, and will do anything to whipe him out before he unites all of the Middle East. Also, France, Germany and many others are worried that the business they do with Iraq will go away...they are right, the US will completely upset the apple cart if we take out Iraq and set up a democracy in that region. This is exactly what the US wants, we want the world to get a taste of our way of life, we believe that once you have that taste, you will not go back. The leaders in those ME countries that oppose freedoms will do anything to stay in power...... Power....it is always about Power. The US needs a democracy in the Middle East, and a front against the war for the people's minds in that region. Iraq is it. DD
Also, France, Germany and many others are worried that the business they do with Iraq will go away...they are right, the US will completely upset the apple cart if we take out Iraq and set up a democracy in that region. I don't know whether these countries really think this way, but if they do, they are dumbasses. Iraq is under all sorts of sanctions right now. If it is democratized, there will be tons more trade to go around for everyone. They may not have as big a share of the new market, but the market will be so much bigger their net trade will likely increase. The US needs a democracy in the Middle East, and a front against the war for the people's minds in that region. Iraq is it. This is the benefit of regime-change strategy. Iraq is one of the few truly secular countries in the middle east, so the risk of them becoming extreme-Islam is low. The problem is whether democracy can really work effectively in a country and region that's never had it. Look how much Russia has struggled and they haven't even had major violence issues. If the various factions in Iraq end up in an internal civil war (power is power), that's just going to rally the Muslim world about the failings of Democracy and how the US is trying to destroy them from within. It's a slippery slope with huge potential benefits but some pretty significant risks as well.
Why don't we try to install democracy in Saudi Arabia? There's a huge risk there that the voters would elect fundamentalists, which would create a big old mess. That's why we keep propping up these psycho regimes.
Major, I agree. That is the biggest risk, if we set up a democracy, the people may just vote in radical muslim leaders, then what do we do? I read somewhere that Iraq is 70% Shi -ite Muslim, like Iran, and the ruling secular party is in the minority. That may be wrong, but it bothers me to think that we may go get rid of Saddam, and then turn around and have another Iran on our hands, but this time with hidden stores of WMD. If we do take out Iraq, we would need to be there for at least an entire generation to ensure that Democracy takes hold. That is a LONG LONG time. DD
