Iraq Shows That Preserving American Power Sometimes Requires Restraining It

[bemildred]

Cato institute, be warned.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The war in Iraq shows the limits to American power and should deter the U.S. from further imperialistic military action, finds "Learning the Right Lessons from Iraq," a study released by the Cato Institute today.

"The military gives us the power to conquer foreign countries, but not the power to run them. Because there are few good reasons to take on missions meant to resuscitate failed governments, terrorism notwithstanding, the most important lesson from the war in Iraq should be a newfound appreciation for the limits of our power," write authors Benjamin H. Friedman, Cato research fellow and MIT Ph.D. candidate, Harvey Sapolsky, professor of public policy and organization at MIT, and Christopher Preble, Cato's director of foreign policy studies.

The report dismisses the common explanations for why the mission in Iraq has failed, including poor planning and coordination in preparing for the occupation, too few troops, and a misconceived counterinsurgency doctrine. Instead, the authors argue, the United States overextended its reach. "Whatever else changed after September 11, America remains culturally unprepared for imperialism. We are ill-suited for stabilizing disorderly states and achieving success in protracted foreign wars."

It is perhaps the Unites States' liberalism that makes state-building incompatible with its national character. "Americans dislike limited, non-ideological wars. We want our wars to be conclusive, the ends clear, the cause righteous, and the force decisive." Further, U.S. principles of democracy are best advanced peacefully, such as through trade and by example.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/iraq-shows-that-preserving-american-power-sometimes-requires-restraining-it,277527.shtml

[filosopher]

1. kick n/t

[AlertLurker]

2. From the lips of Michael Ledeen:

Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business."