Iraq is a lot more secular to begin with than other Middle East nations. So if democracy is possible anywhere in the region, it's Iraq.

BBC news last night showed the beginnings of what an open and democratic society will bring to Iraq. The two hottest items are 1) European and American porn, and 2) TV satellite dishes, which irreversibly kicks open the door to the rest of the world, and views from outside the region. This alone I think will make Iraq more compatible over time to the rest of the world.

Brineyspearsatemyshorts, I'm glad you posted that article by O'Reilly. I'm not a fan of his show, but in this particular article, he makes a great point that while we wax philosophic about the value of every life and a relatively small war loss of less than 300 American soldiers, we are, in fact, unconsciously swept up in the middle of a Third World War. And that the stakes are the survival of Western culture.

I agree completely, it's us or them.

And I also agree that the Bush administration should be doing a much better job of making clear our objectives, and quickly deconstructing the disinformation of Muslim extremist rhetoric, and of their willing accomplices, liberal pundits in America and Europe.