well, pre-american cultures were slaughtered and subjugated for material gain by stronger aggressors, and it definitely didn't liberate them, but it did some things for some people, down the line, into the bargain, even if that wasn't the original motive.

You know, you can't really equate different things, regardless of whether they are both wrong, or bad--nothing is really the same thing as something else. You can't equate democracy with basic human rights, across the board, for instance. I don't believe in the singlular motives of individual Great Men shaping events, or that the future can be predicted. Others can wait for countries to do the right things for soley the right reasons, and wait as long as they care to.

   But Iraq has a history of aggression, which landed them into terms of a cease fire, and while the case made for war was weak, the legality is murky, especially to me, since I'm actually not an expert in international law. It can be hoped that succesive leadership and political will may pull some good out of the aftermath, difficult as that may seem to be. Blair and Bush aren't kings. Or, if not, I guess we can always relax into idealistic cynicism, remember our protests, and say we told everybody so.