If it works you make history. If you fail you are history.
Haha. Nice line.
…Give every Iraqi citizen a fractional share of the country's oil output. This would put $ in the hands of citizens, to stimulate a market economy (which could be taxed to pay for government).
Nice points but I doubt a normal taxation system as we know it would work in Iraq. Hell it doesn’t even work in Russia. And most other countries of the world.
Also the Iraqis would not trust that someone who is power (who would that be again?) isn’t ripping them off.
That’s the way they are. That’s the way it is. That’s the way it always has been. That’s the way it always will be.
Unfortunately, I think they believe the only way to be ruled is by someone with an iron fist especially in the current situation. If that person (the US) meant to give them their own rights back, then they wouldn’t mind it for the near future. Anyway they would have no choice…by definition.
Again, a massive and overwhelming military presence by the US (maybe an international force…maybe, wouldn’t happen though) would calm things down.
And I mean f*cking massive.
Flood the place with US troops. Troops on every corner. Troops making every corner safe. Millions of them.
I would imagine there would be less US casualties then than there are now. Less violence. Less chaos. Total control.
Instead of sensing weakness, like they definitely do now, they would sense the well known and familiar strength (I don’t mean use the strength in the same way Saddam did. There are other positive ways of using strength). They would sense strength again and it would stabilise the situation.
Overwhelming strength=stability.
Do you want stability?
Or do you want instability like you have now?
It’s one or the other in this situation. One or the other. You choose.
You know, to do a job you have to do what it takes to do the job. (Heard that while in Texas). It sounds obvious, but it obviously isn’t.
And the foreign troublemakers (insurgents in mumbo jumbo) would also not reign free like they do now.
Iran would button up.
Korea would have respect for the US.
The rest of the world, even those against the invasion, would say “Heyyyyyy….impressive”
And then before you know it, people would come out of the wood and try to be on the strong side, try to get their businesses running, try to profit and advance themselves by being on the obviously cast iron stronger side. They would feel like they were surrounded by strength and that is what counts in most of the world. Saddam understood that.
They would feel that the only way is to work with the "boss". Sure there would be a few suicidal diehards. But most people are not suicidal. Most people just want to have it better.
And they want stability. Stability is where progress is made, bankers know that.
710- You suggest we "do it right" by sending in MORE troops to RickySal's slaughter? You also suggest sending over independant contractors and hiring mercenaries?
I think that in a really difficult situation like this, we have to think waaaaay out of the box. What is the problem here? It is that you are in Iraq with troops. So sending in MORE troops seems opposite of what is needed, right?
So now is the time you need balls. Now is the time you must take really damn hard decisions, and they better work. You have to guarantee they will work.
I feel that is the only possible solution here.
Too bad it won’t wash at home.
710- … You also suggest sending over contractors and hiring mercenaries?
No, I don’t. I meant in 10 years mercenaries might be available for the US to use in their next little adventure.
Actually the US should seriously look into the mercenary situation next time though. Traditionally throughout history they have worked quite well. Scares the hell out of people. Dedicated. Expendable. Deniable. Unlike home troops. Too late for the Iraq situation and there is no pool of mercenaries at the moment. That’s what I mean, the US should create one.
Anyway, the contractors I mentioned are the construction type. Not the hit man type. Where would anybody find 2 million hit men, anyway?