That intervention in turn leads to still more unforeseen and uncontrollable consequences, which are then used as yet another justification for still further intervention.

Interventionist types in the U.S. and among our are forever saying that we have to something about the problem of du jour in whatever country in the Middle East is currently in turmoil. The truth is that most of the time not only are we not obliged to take action, but that our intervention will make things worse for us.

oh please, this dude is a dreamer. Sure, in hindsight Iraq was not well thought out. It doesn't mean we should not have gone in, but we sure as hell needed a little more planning for the victory. Afghanistan, sorry, Taliban had to go. The outcome of WWI was only a disaster because the pussy US president let France make ansurd conditions on the Germans, when indeed it was that hapsburgs that wanted to start the war. Don't take these views as gospel.

ronc, you're the dreamer. You've just cited three instances where U.S. intervention did not work out (and there are many more) and required still further or continuing interventions, yet still insist the interventions had to be done, but just differently! If only you had been in charge!

Ok ronc your 3 points

1)Iraq - why did we go in, what was the point, the goal, why didnt any other prez do it?

2)Aganistan - you are right the Taliban did have to go, why did we have to stay? Why not carpet bomb the five largest cities send in the troops to wipe out any tagets inaccesable by air and leave the UN to pick up the peices?

3)WWI why get involved at all?

Luj, Iraq, Saddam tried to kill a former president, was systematically killing kurds, shiites, and any other group he wanted to. He had used chemical weapons on multiple occasions in the past, and he obviously would nukes if he had them, which it was not safe to assume he didn't. As far as WWI, again, we had no dog in that hunt other than open trade with Europe, which the central powers were interfering with, so ya, we had a good reason to go there also. WWII, really, should we have just let the Japanese run roughshod over Asia. Should we have just let the Germans take Britain. Again, not wanting war is not a solution to the need for war at times. Only dreamers would say otherwise. Perhaps you should unplug your John Lennon play list, Jean

Saddam was doing all that when Regan was in power, are you telling me ne day after nearly 2 decades the powers that be suddenly decided we really aught to do somthing before its been 25yrs of murder?

Sam Kinison and Rodney Dangerfield discuss the subtleties of our Vietnam and Korea strategies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bfgrj_62-Y

Yes, this guy is an idiot.

1. Iraq and Afghanistan have brought the cultural battle to the Muslim's home turf. Although nobody wants to say it out loud, America is de facto committed to a Marshall Plan type presence in Iraq. It will take at least a generation to inculcate democracy - just as it took a generation to expunge facism from Germany.

The problem isn't intervention, but short attention span and unwillingness to follow through. The problem is that talking about a Marshall Plan for Iraq is political suicide nowadays.

2. The current wave of rebellions shows that America did not intervene enough in those countries. The "Arab street" wants nothing to do with Western ideas because they've seen us propping up oppressive dictators, without demanding reforms. After decades of American indifference, they are now embracing the Muslim Brotherhood's radical anti-Western rhetoric - because we didn't intervene to improve their lives or promote our values.

"Luj, Iraq, Saddam tried to kill a former president, was systematically killing kurds, shiites, and any other group he wanted to. He had used chemical weapons on multiple occasions in the past"

We sold him those chemical weapons, we didn't give a shit about his killing his own people, he was our friend until he wasn't (our usual m.o. with all sorts of unsavory leaders), he didn't have WMD, as we already knew. And "tried to kill a former president"? Oh, bollocks.

The stench of American Exceptionalism is powerful. We are great, we are good, we are noble, we are virtuous, we are always right, we have to teach everyone else A Lesson. We bomb and slaughter our way around the world and call it "helping." America needs to put its big swinging dick back in its pants.

Middle East and Asia do not need America to improve their lives.
Middle East and Asia are forever blaming America even after all the help and expertise given by the West to Middle East and Asia.
Middle East and Asia have to start their own democratic changes without imposing their populations on other foreign countries.