>The alternative to
> the US presence in these places is probably the installation of regimes that
> most of us on the western left probably would not consider to be
> progressive, and could potentially be quite nasty. If the US left
> Afghanistan next month, for example, we probably would not see a progressive
> regime take root there. We'd likely see a reversion to decentralized,
> clan-based rule and warlordism.
I'd say if Platypus believes this, they are a pretty nasty piece of work. Progress, Emancipation, and Civilization as the primary political categories, with westerners deciding if those states have been achieved. Kipling and TR would be proud!
This whole discussion has made me wish that Platypus's and Heartfield's parents had bought them a copy of Risk when they were tots. Maybe they would have gotten the geopolitical, world-leader role-playing games out of their system.