The most recent 20 comments posted to Electrolite by Hard Pressed:

I don't know whether anyone's still following this thread (I was away for the weekend) but maybe I should clarify: If my only choices are between two schools of psychopathic, sociopathic, megalomaniacal foreign policy, I would prefer the competent school of war-crime typified by Kissinger to the current bunch of idiots. It's not much of a choice. I can think of no way for the U.S. to "resolve" the Iraq "crisis" that does not involve genocidal levels of violence. The sanctions lead to massive death, invasion will lead to massive death, and Kissinger-style realpolitik leads to massive death.

However, if history is any guide, repressive regimes tend to fall dramatically only after a period of liberalization. The Soviet Union collapsed only after Glasnost (and the Tsars in turn collapsed only after reforms in the treatment of serfs), the French monarchy collapsed after the formation of--what was it called?--the House of Deputies or whatever. And it was precisely that kind of "liberalized dictatorship" period that Iran was entering right before the "axis of evil" nonsense sent the ayatollahs right back to full repression. I have no doubt that if Saddam relaxed his grip for a moment, the Iraqis would rise up en masse. But he can't do that with his back up against the wall.

Stefan,

"Realpolitik ideologue" is an oxymoron. The realpolitik solution to Iraq would be to send covert arms to the Kurds, the Sunnis, and the Marsh Arabs, pay off Turkey and Iran to stay out, and let the fur fly. If worst comes to worst, we set up a phony UN-sponsored "humanitarian intervention" in the aftermath of genocide, and then install our pet.

That's what Kissinger or Brezynski (sp?) would've done. And as much as I loathe those two, I'd certainly prefer that kind of solution to a nonexistent crisis to the one we're currently looking at. Of course, there'd be blowback aplenty (but not for 20 years or so), and at least we could keep our standing with other governments.

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