Bill,
Darwin is an interesting guy who managed to uncover a fundamental truth. I am of the opinion that civilization is an extremely thin veneer and we forget this at our peril. Nature, be it at the chemical, microbial, plant, or animal level (this includes us) is all about
equilibriums. There is no static decisive point for a species other than extinction.
Examining Iraq it appears that the in-country
factions are waiting for our election results to reveal the future orientation of America's foreign policy while scheming about how to maximize any resulting opportunities. There was alot of anger in that country when I was there, and alot of
blood has flowed since then. Somebody will have to continue to cut
deals so that stability efforts can take hold. We just need to keep in mind that it's not Kansas nor will it ever be. I have always been a fan of the school of '
walk softly but carry a big stick' and feel that some of these lessons are a viable solution to our troubles.
Chechnya may indeed be an applicable model for a future Iraq. Even the Russians (not such big fans of the whole PC thing) have not been able to stamp out conflict and bring complete stability to that country. The
British Empire, (PC-capable as required) even with their
vaunted Colonial Service had on-going issues in several of their
colonies. The
Romans did well using non PC techniques but I submit that they were stuck with
equilibrium points just like we are.
This weekend I am going to draft up a note for Rob Thorton on his stability thread about public private partnerships vs. the limited/non-existent rule of law environment and would appreciate your insights if you get a chance. I am going to try to cover north america, latin america, and europe vs. iraq....this will probably require a couple of beers to build up some steam however.
Regards,
Steve
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