I think one of the reasons 'conspiracy theory' explanations for 9/11 flourish in the minds of some is an underlying belief in the sharpness of the American national security apparatus. 'They couldn't be that clumsy' we say 'there must have been a plan of some kind.'
Yet, when we consider the situation in Iraq, which seems as of this week to have exploded into a rebellion of staggering scope and implication, it appears the wheels have gone off the wagon.
Highlights include...
* Allowing looting and general unrest to flourish immediately following the fall of Bagdhad which provided the space not only for the formation of criminal gangs, but ideologically minded militias
* Disbanding the Iraqi military without a plan for what they should do next, casting hundreds of thousands of armed, trained men into limbo.
* Importing Iraqi expatriates to fill the Governing Council -- people clearly seen by Iraqis as being, at best, illegitimate puppets and, at worst, wildcard opportunists (as in Chalabi).
* Performing mostly cosmetic infrastructure repair -- for example, repairing transmission lines without restoring the generating facilities -- designed to fill the coffers of firms such as Haliburton and Bechtel but do little for Iraq.
* Expecting neoliberal "shock therapy" to enliven the economy and solve the severe unemployment problem
* Killing, harrasing, detaining and humiliating civilians on a daily basis
...
Given the above, why should any sensible person be surprised that resistance -- led by Baathists, Sadrists and just plain folks tired of getting a beat down -- should grow and grow.
It seems to me imperialists of the past (including previous generations of Americans) seeking long-term hegemony thought of both stick AND carrot. The Americans however, perhaps addled by a too firm belief in the sort of foolishness found in corporate 'mission statments', popular culture and a religous faith in our metallic death tech (and the god who reportedly guides the hand holding the laser targeting device) seem to believe that stick and stick will not only suppress but somehow be accepted by the oppressed as good and right. As, in a word, liberation.
Were the Romans this stupid about human nature? Were the Brits?
Taking into account the US's tremendous wealth and military power and still (mostly) central role in the workings of the world economy, I understand why many believe its imperial structure will endure for some time to come.
Even so, despite all these advantages, I wonder how such a system as the US dominates can long survive reality challenged management.
DRM