well, it keeps getting worse. is that because of the US presence? or because of the lack of right action? doesn't the US have some history of reconstructing nations/regions? japan? europe? marshall[sp?] plan?
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This comes up from time to time; less so now than it did in the days immediately before and after the invasion.
"The US rebuilt Japan and Germany" we're told, "and can surely rebuild Iraq."
The problem with this is that it assumes the talent pool, intentions and, even if directed towards imperialist aims, wisdom of the Truman generation -- the architects of the post World War Two order -- are matched by anything presently available in the Bush administration.
Besides often indiscriminate violence and detentions, three things seem to define the Bush generation's occupation of Iraq:
* ineptitude caused by ideological impediments (for example, the efforts to create a neoliberal paradise...efforts detailed by people like Naomi Klein here -- <http://www.harpers.org/BaghdadYearZero.html> )
* ineptitude caused by a patrician, CEO style of disregard for the consequences of your actions upon ordinary people -- note, for example, Bremer's decision to disband the Iraqi military without, at first, any provision made for ensuring these men were paid. The failure to predict trouble from this dangerously boneheaded action speaks volumes.
* graft, corruption and laziness on the part of firms responsible for reconstruction some of which is detailed by Christian Parenti here -- <http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20040830&s=parenti>
The Truman generation was concerned about competing for the ever discussed "hearts of minds" of Europe and Asia with the USSR and a little later, the PRC. Concrete actions were taken to develop the economies and living standards of Germany and Japan (once Marshall's quite clever ideas were given a chance) to make the US' case more convincing. This is the sort of imperialism a slick tyrant like Augustus would have approved of.
The Bush generation, though it talks about competing with Jihadis, seems more focused on slick ad campaigns, American funded Arabic language television such as Al-Iraqiya and other actions that produce almost zero jobs, put no food on anyone's table and go nowhere in convincing the target audience of the US' benevolence. This is the kind of imperialism a distracted nut like Nero would produce.
And like Nero, who, Tacitus tells us, fancied himself an artist our Bush generation believes it can mold events with verve and panache.
They're long on grandiose ideas, short on logistics.
Even if you put aside the weighty moral considerations that should make them persona non grata in Iraq, you could disqualify them from the 'rebuilding' job for reasons of blind ineptitude alone.
.d.
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