Getting kicked out of Iraq is the best thing for the US. First, we should never have gone in. Second, we have been in Iraq, far far too long. We need to get out.
We tried chasing the Neo-con dream of nation building and post Saddam democratization and we failed.
- Because Iraq is not a nation. The boundaries of Iraq were drawn by Western colonial powers and have nothing to do with the reality on the ground: Iraq should be 3 maybe 4 nation states not one. The USA can’t hold something together that fundementally wants to fly apart.
- Democracy cannot be imposed from without. The Iraqis have never experienced the Enlightenment, which is an important element in a democracy.
- The neo-cons were completely delusional.
Ultimately, it is up to the various Iraqi peoples to decide their own fate. This may mean an Iraqi civil war in the future. So be it, they have to find their own solutions and it’s likely to be messy, but they have a right to take control of their own destinies.
Yes Iran will interfere, perhaps even occupy parts of Iraq if there is a civil war. Few things would bankrupt Iran faster than to get themselves bogged down trying to pacify Iraq. Long term, Iran will do no better than the US did.
And if we get out of Iraq, we should also start to figure a way out of Afghanistan and Syria because the same things apply in those places too, and the US should not be there.
