If we want to play Empire builder, for goodness' sake, we have to learn how to build Empires. The French colons and the Brits both left behind them very workable infrastructure -- no matter how wrong their colonizations were, the machinery for hygeine, education, and production were in place in Rabat, Tangiers, Kuala Lumpur, and the major cities of Injjuh. Maybe these places would have done better to evolve their own ways of building sewers and pipes -- but how many ways can there be? The point is that if you are going to overthrow order and bring chaos, you better be ready to put in some alternative form of order, or some one else will step up and do it for you.
Saddam was suppressing the hell out of the people of Baghdad, but it was an orderly suppression. (Of course, graves are orderly and quiet, too!).

It was really dumb not to have a plan of restoration in hand and ready to roll out the minute it was militarily feasible.

What did Bush think -- spontaneous civilization was going to spring full-blown from the smoke and blood of his little battle?

Sheesh!


A