Tough Love

To avoid an "occupation of undetermined length" Obama's prescription for Iraq is a dose of tough love: "The best way to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving."

That medicine cured South Vietnam into oblivion and resulted in death, re-education camps, or exodus for millions. For a man of hope, Mr Obama shows an amazing callousness for the tragedy his reversal of American policy will bring. Meanwhile, from a country in its 63rd year of an "occupation of undetermined length" eyes are beginning to open:

A quick withdrawal from Iraq? Sounds great. But the mistake of having started this war in the first place cannot be corrected by ending it in a mad rush to get out of Iraq. A rapid withdrawal of the US military would most likely be followed by a bloody civil war. Al-Qaida would manage to sink its teeth into Iraq once and for all. Iran would rejoice. And Osama bin Laden and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would be the real winners of the 2008 American presidential election.

It seems Europeans may have second thoughts about the U.S. electing a man who thinks like them. America's willingness to protect them and their interests allowed Europe to atrophy her military might (and pump the savings into the social programs Obama envies). Obama's willingness to let Iraq sink or swim can easily be seen as a harbinger that Europe (and Japan and Korea) will be next to receive the opportunity "to take responsibility for their future" as Obama seeks options to pay for his social utopia.

Originally posted in UNCoRRELATED Feb 25, 2008