I Love Jet Noise has posted the challenge from Orin Kerr.
First, assuming that you were in favor of the invasion of Iraq at the time of the invasion, do you believe today that the invasion of Iraq was a good idea? Why/why not?
Second, what reaction do you have to the not-very-upbeat news coming of Iraq these days, such as the stories I link to above?
Third, what specific criteria do you recommend that we should use over the coming months and years to measure whether the Iraq invasion has been a success?
OK, can do. Nothing incredibly prophetic, but will give it a shot.
1. Do I think it is a good idea? Yes. Very much so. When I first listened to the 2003 SOTU, I heard WMD, and keep Saddam from becoming an imminent threat. What ran through my mind was the brutality of the regime, the thousands of children dying every year, how sanctions had been worthless, Saddam’s support of terrorism, his adventurism, and how he could cause a huge ME war if a WMD, traced to Iraq, went off in Israel. And children starving and dying.
2. The negative stories tick me off to no end. We have become a nation polarized, where it is either gloom and doom, or completely upbeat. War is difficult. Some things go well, some do not. We should hear both sides, and not be afraid to have frank discussions when the chips are down. But the good news should be out there in the Big Media. Hey, I have never really cared for FoxNews. A tendency to rely on long stories, and silly stuff (the exact reason I gave up on US News and World Report.) But, I do not want to hear the gloom on CNN or MSNBC first thing in the morning, thank you very much. Let me hear some good things, like schools opening in Iraq, and the utilities coming back on-line.
3. My specific measure is if Iraq is having free elections 5, 10, 20 years from now. Ones where candidates are able to speak their minds, and people aren’t afraid to vote. If the Iraqi people do not like us, fine. As long as they are an example for the other ME countries, and they aren’t a State that actively supports terrorism.
Can we accomplish the mission? That will be up to the Iraqi people. Let’s give them the support that they deserve, as fellow human beings, who should have the chance for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Lord knows they need it.
