iraq strategy

doesn't it seem like the "stay the course in iraq" contingent is using the logic of
the beatings will continue until morale improves . . . ?

i mean, aren't we finally admitting that we made a terrible mess for bad reasons, but we argue that we're going to keep doing what we're doing (which made the mess) because the only alternative we can see is to walk away? are our options really that limited?

i don't think we should just walk away. what about our responsibility to clean up the mess we made? (yes, saddam made some of it, but we destroyed the country and need to look at our own part.)

it's not the military's responsibility, nor is it within the military's expertise to rebuild a country, which is what iraq needs to be stable, and what we should do if we want any hope of a non-puppet ally there. we should rebuild infrastructure and support economic and political structures which benefit the iraqi people. even after all the iraqi people we've killed, we have a chance to leave the country better than we found it in at least some ways, and if we do, we may be able to regain some of that lost world opinion. (which matters)

this work will require some tools and skills that the military is not designed to possess, and that our current administration does not use, for whatever reason.

but the adage if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail can be expanded:

if you have lots of tools but only believe in the hammer . . .

or maybe

it's hard to build stuff with only a chainsaw