> The "we broke it, we should fix it" position -- in all its
> permutations -- relies on the astonishly naive faith that U.S. forces
> will do anything approximating "fixing it" if they stay. That may be
> the happy vision of a few generous souls on this list, but bears no
> resemblance to the agenda of the U.S. occupiers, who happen to be the
> ones calling the shots for the forseeable future.
This is one of the better arguments against the occupation of Iraq. Frankly, the original argument-- that the U.S. bears responsibility for the Saddam regime-- has merit, which is wy I had little objection to the issue of regime change. However, this leads to the next question, which is whether the U.S. (or its current leadership) is likely to rebuild Iraq in any decent way.
> Bremer has been very clear about the mission of the occupation: to
> fully transform Iraq into a country hospitable to multinational
> corporate interests. This isn't ultra-left propaganda. At a recent
> talk, Bremer specifically said the U.S. "would not leave" until
> barriers to foreign investment were dismantled; oil, water and other
> vital industries and resources were privatized, and the country was
> otherwise handed over to multinational capital. That is the driving
> aim -- and will be the only consequence -- of continued occupation.
Well, not to exonerate Bremer of Bush, but one might ask if this fate is better or worse than the continued rule of Saddam Hussein. Offhand, I'd say it's better, but that's more a measure of the Saddam regime's evils than anything else. With Saddam, the best one could hope for was a sudden, massive, probably violent revolution, with Iran nearby ready to move in. But, if foreign investment comes, and there's greater integration with the global economy, there is a greater opportunity for democratic change within Iraq. It's not _inevitable_, but it does offer the potential.
BTW, this is niggling over a phrase, but I don't think continued occupation's "only consequence" would be integration with the global economy. It could just as easily lead to the creation of an Iraq-sized war zone.