[The_Rorschach]

The French economy has been in violation of the stability pact for the past three years. Their whole objection to this war is based upon the, almost unavoidable, financial dive their country will take asa result of losing the oil contracts they had set up. Especially after all the work and money put into the project already. But that is neither here nor there. Avanti!

CLA: "You think so? The US, if anyone, has the resources for it, and has the ability to do it alone."

Sure. We CAN do it. It's not a question of aptittude, its a question of support. Be serious a moment, if the world doesn't support this war. Will they support us placing a puppet king in power? Because that is ultimately how the French and Germans are going to see it. They've let their prejudice blind and bind them.

"I'm just not convinced the Bush administration, or the majority of Americans, have the resolve to do anything significant."

Money is the great motivater, and there is enough cash going to be cropping up for rebuilding efforts that the French are already trying to steal a piece of the pie before the war is even won.

"Nor do they have a clue as to how to make democracy work in a vastly different cultural context from ours."

We did it in Japan, and it doesn't get more vastly different than that.

"You can't just take the American system and transplant it anywhere, expecting it to work nicely."

We don't even try. We plant the seeds, but ultimately its their garden. They can make it work, Like S. Korea, or they can let it die.


"Fixing bridges and oil wells is pretty trivial compared to what's really needed."

An economic base is essential to any fledgling government. Our Forefathers wrote at length on that, as I'm sure you'll remeber. I'd rather see schools, universities and libraries built personally, because a education is the difference between a backward country and a proserous one, but its not my decision.

"Iraq, eventually, will probably be turned into a loose confederation of states drawn upon ethnic and religious boundaries, but I am very pessimistic that the Middle East will be a significantly safer place, in regards to our national security."

Just a stepping stone friend. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will Iraq be reborn in less than a year. The Middle East may never know peace, but if we don't try, we're only another aspect of the problem.