--I don't buy that. There certainly is something to your analysis of the failure of the occupation, it's failed in ways that are quite spectacular really, though not at all surprising given the bizarre pretexts that destined it for failure. The bizarre pretext was, of course, that this occupation contained even the remotest seeds of legitimacy internationally or in Iraq. Now we see a thoroughly incompetent and overburdened CPA that is easily infiltrated to add to its list of dilemmas. At the same time it's hard to argue that if there were no armed resistance in Iraq that the CPA would have to be that concerned about its level of failure. I'm not sure how you can dismiss outright that reality. It doesn't require even the slightest bit of romanticisation of the armed resistance to acknowledge that. In fact, I can agree with the contention that the armed resistance is hardly romantic or politically left and still make that argument soundly. ------------------------
That fantasy, coalesces with its obverse, the fear of the 'axis of evil', to big up the supposed Iraqi resistance.
--no need to big up anything, the number of deaths of US soldiers (and keep in mind in the United States those are the ONLY deaths that are significant) is pretty damned high considering the massive weaponry and technoogical advantages enjoyed by the US.
Steve