On the Iraq front, it seems that Bob Carr was right. The American military look likely to take over the formulation of policy in regard to that non-quagmire quagmire. Not before time either. In fact, immediately the flowers and sweets failed to materialise in March 2003, the Military ought to have been handed the reigns by the politicians who wouldn’t know shit from clay about military sponsored regime change.
The adventure in Iraq has failed. To my mind, was always bound to fail. The similarities between Iraq and Viet Nam are too strong to ignore, despite the politicians all claiming other wise. Both will remain in history as foolish adventures in cultural confrontation, which America believed it could change through sheer military power. America is not a colonial power and never will be. She doesn’t have the ethos to manage, only dominate. Management takes finesse, domination takes only strength and ability. There hasn’t been an administration post WW2 which displayed more than rudimentary interest in management, only in domination. One without the other is always doomed to failure.
Now for the exit from Iraq. Hopefully, soon, before too many more lives are wasted in this futile exercise in empirical fervour.