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No one action by the United States government has turned me against my own country more than the invasion of Iraq. It is not because I cannot see the logic, stretched as it was as to why invading and occupying a country ravaged by mismanagement does not make sense on a both a security and humanitarian level. I can see the logic. And I even believe that with adequate time and ruthlessness, America could possibly create a westernized Arab country that although might not be completely harmless could very well contribute to our national interest. But the time to do this would be in the decades and the required hand so offensive to current sensibilities any benefit that might be required from a sedate Iraq would be offset by our rouge standing in the world.
My opposition to this so called "mission" is for many reasons. On just the practical level I looked at the experience Israel has had with the Palestinians. Thirty-eight years of occupation of the West Bank and until last year Gaza has made Israel less secure, more hated and has done more to galvanize radical Islamism than anything else in the world. Moreover, the Palestinian people, although completely impoverished and disenfranchised, refuse to give up and by sheer numbers will someday be so numerous Israel will have no alternative but to withdraw with little gained for their efforts. I do not see why an occupation of Iraq by U.S. forces would necessarily yield be any different.