The pitfalls of exuberance
Commentary on the Petraeus report before Congress, drafted on Sep. 11, 2007
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One can only feel pity for General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. For these two,good and honorable men
have been given a mission that they should have never been mandated for in the first place. For too much has it
been the same overly optimistic world view that has caused the Iraq desaster, which has also been prevalent in
the sub-prime mortgage mess that any second-tier official should now be made to explain for it.
No, if we want to be honest here, if we have to accept, that it was exuberant from the start to believe that a
democracy could work in a centrifugal country like Iraq. And so the invasion should have never been undertaken
to begin with. For too feudal and disparate are the traditions here that a non-dictatorial leadership would (at least,
at present) work there.
Given therefore that it is primarily a leadership miscalculation that is behind the current debacle, one can only
hope that the respective powers accept their own mistakes. For too much will a successful resolution of the
problem depend on their recognition of reality now, that they could still allow themselves to hide behind their
missionary stubbornness.
No, no, if there is a half-way acceptable exit strategy for Iraq, it can only based on a fundamental strategy
change. And so one has to be prepared to say good-bye to all the freedom hopes that one has had for a unified
Iraq. For too much will it take a local strongman here, to hold the country together still, that we could now believe
that the latter can be avoided yet.
Now obviously this will be a hard pill to swallow for all of us who believe in the supremacy of the rule of law. The
fact, however that this is a bitter medicine should not deter ourselves from taking it. For too much would we
otherwise have to pay in an even sterner price that we could now permit ourselves, to shy the lesser pain.
No, no and a third time no, if we want to be realistic here, we have to acknowledge that it can neither be in the
American interest, to keep the troops there for ever, nor can we accept the fact that Iraq should be divided now.
For too much would this create a power vacuum here, that we could now hope to find stability there.
Given therefore that there is no other way to grow a democracy but to nurture it in and out of oneself, we can only
urge our freedom missionaries to stop trying to spread it with their arms. For too much do they thereby discredit
their own ideals that they could now still hope to adequately develop them.
No, no and a fourth time no, if we want to be responsible here, we have to understand, that the military exercise
that brought freedom and democracy to Germany and Japan cannot easily be replicated anywhere else. For too
much has it erstwhile been a case of universally accepted self-defense that has brought liberty about, that we
could now presume that the same can be achieved without this global moral support.
Commentary on the Petraeus report before Congress, drafted on Sep. 11, 2007
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One can only feel pity for General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. For these two,good and honorable men
have been given a mission that they should have never been mandated for in the first place. For too much has it
been the same overly optimistic world view that has caused the Iraq desaster, which has also been prevalent in
the sub-prime mortgage mess that any second-tier official should now be made to explain for it.
No, if we want to be honest here, if we have to accept, that it was exuberant from the start to believe that a
democracy could work in a centrifugal country like Iraq. And so the invasion should have never been undertaken
to begin with. For too feudal and disparate are the traditions here that a non-dictatorial leadership would (at least,
at present) work there.
Given therefore that it is primarily a leadership miscalculation that is behind the current debacle, one can only
hope that the respective powers accept their own mistakes. For too much will a successful resolution of the
problem depend on their recognition of reality now, that they could still allow themselves to hide behind their
missionary stubbornness.
No, no, if there is a half-way acceptable exit strategy for Iraq, it can only based on a fundamental strategy
change. And so one has to be prepared to say good-bye to all the freedom hopes that one has had for a unified
Iraq. For too much will it take a local strongman here, to hold the country together still, that we could now believe
that the latter can be avoided yet.
Now obviously this will be a hard pill to swallow for all of us who believe in the supremacy of the rule of law. The
fact, however that this is a bitter medicine should not deter ourselves from taking it. For too much would we
otherwise have to pay in an even sterner price that we could now permit ourselves, to shy the lesser pain.
No, no and a third time no, if we want to be realistic here, we have to acknowledge that it can neither be in the
American interest, to keep the troops there for ever, nor can we accept the fact that Iraq should be divided now.
For too much would this create a power vacuum here, that we could now hope to find stability there.
Given therefore that there is no other way to grow a democracy but to nurture it in and out of oneself, we can only
urge our freedom missionaries to stop trying to spread it with their arms. For too much do they thereby discredit
their own ideals that they could now still hope to adequately develop them.
No, no and a fourth time no, if we want to be responsible here, we have to understand, that the military exercise
that brought freedom and democracy to Germany and Japan cannot easily be replicated anywhere else. For too
much has it erstwhile been a case of universally accepted self-defense that has brought liberty about, that we
could now presume that the same can be achieved without this global moral support.
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