REMEMBERING
HANS
Today, interestingly enough, the take-it-slow approach accorded Hans is demeaned by those who tried to sell it back in November through February last. Only their fast-track demand is applied to America’s efforts at Hans’ task - enormous as it may have been - plus, of course, America is occupying, physically rebuilding and politically restructuring that very same far-off country. “A miserable failure” says Richard Gephardt of America’s efforts. Maybe he’s right. After all, we’ve been there four months or so now. All his Democrat cohorts agree with him, some more viscerally than others: there’s not much diversity in that crowd. Personally, I’ve never run a country; never built one and never have met anyone who has. I remember Gen. Douglas MacArthur; he re-built Japan and Truman’s crowd did the same for Europe after World War II. A bit later, we did the same for South Korea. They didn’t do it entirely on their own. So I thought I’d do a bit of sleuthing as to what history says about nation-building, to coin a word. Here are some facts and perspective items for your consideration next time someone shouts “Miserable failure” referring to American policies and practices in Iraq. - Six months after WWII ended, the New York Times reported Germany to be awash in unrest and lawlessness. More than a million people roamed the country; the American GI was deeply resented. There was no infrastructure in Berlin. Hunger was rampant. What did Truman and America do? Not much until the Marshall Plan which wasn’t announced until late in 1947; more than 2 years - not months - after the war ended. - In Japan, MacArthur was an Imperial God; he ruled, literally. And he was ruling for nearly six years - not months - before he had imposed a constitutional democracy on Japan. There was a management difference between the two `rebuilds’. Japan was unilaterally American; nobody else came over to help us. We, on the other hand, were the Big Enchilada (I live in Mexifornia; we all talk that way here now) in Europe as well. But we were part of the touchy-feely crowd there: Berlin was divided among us, the English, the Russians and the French. Notice how the French, losers from almost day one of the war, still got themselves a big piece of the action. They haven’t changed much have they? Eastern Europe was ceded to the Russians who finally secured their buffer states, long a Russian dream. Japan took six years to rehab as a nation. Europe? Forty-five years. That tells me unilateralism works. Europe was a shambles for decades. I spent much time in old Eastern Europe and in Mother Russia. Gray and scary it was; poor too, desperately poor. Well, what about Iraq, 4 months, months please, not years, after the `war’ ended. According to German Foreign Minister Fischer, U.S. policy has failed. Nevertheless, he offered that Germany would be pleased to partner with the U.S., as an equal partner that is. Equal meaning the rewards would be shared 50/50 but the U.S. could have 100% of the risk. He did speak of the American domino theory which has been written about a few times before on this page. He was acknowledging the real-world rationale for our going in. To say that, in four months, that it’s a flop is inane. It’s also a lie and he knows it. What Herr Fischer is afraid of is that American policy will work and Germany will be euchred out of the Middle East. All the Old Euros are afraid of that. First thing to know about the Middle East is that the countries which make it up are not much as countries. They’re a lot of talk, macho talk. (More Mexifornia; I am diverse.) Arab `leaders’ are full of what makes the grass grow to use Mom’s pungent phrase. The Arab street is also full of it. In the real world, it doesn’t exist. If it did, it would have no weight. No Arab country has any weight or gravity in the real world. Disagree? Name one. Bloody tyrants all. Second, they are both afraid of the Iraq make-over and are trying various ways to accommodate and adjust to it. Syria, for example, is going to multiple political parties; no Muslim countries are in terrorist hands as cheerfully predicted by the street and echoed by Dan Blather et Cie. Pakistan and Indonesia are improving, more stable and doing better economically as well. The Saudis are finally going after terrorists. The Muslim press is awakening and more candid. What is happening is the result of that old (French, I think) aphorism: Nothing is so powerful as an idea whose time has come. Liberty is coming to the Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern world. Coming unevenly to be sure, but surely coming. Third, Iraq and Afghanistan are not suffering under brutal, murderous regimes. That’s 50 million people freed. Not a bad 18 months work and it’s one hell of a nuance. Is living there fun? Maybe not as much as Manhattan but better than it was if, for no other reason, there is now hope. How many will bet that next September will see a regression in the quality of life for Iraqis? The power will come on, just as here; the water will be drinkable and plentiful; it will be better. Only political opponents argue “It’s not enough”; “It’s too slow” But the opposition always says that. The American Enterprise commissioned the Zogby pollsters to take a poll in Iraq last month; August. The results? - 7 of 10 Iraqis expect their country to be better in 5 years; a third think it will be much better - 75$ of Iraqis believe the toughest part of the rebuild will be the political, not the economic side of the problem - the U.S. was chosen as the model country by 37% of Iraqis; Saudi Arabia was second with 28% (ask that question again two years from now) - 60% of Iraqis do not want an Islamic government; 33% say they do - 66% of Iraqis think American and British troops should stick around at least another year - 43% of Iraqis never go to Friday prayer; it’s a secular country Herr Fischer is afraid with good reason. The loud protests of American policy are from Americans just as it was with the war in Viet Nam. The protestors were wrong about that too. The millions of South Vietnamese who are still there are, like the Chinese, trapped slaves to tyrants. That is definitely not the case in Iraq. Hear what Hamza Hendawi, the Associated Press writer wrote last week. “In the 5 months since U.S. forces rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein’s rule, the country’s ethnically and religiously diverse people have, in one giant leap, overturned decades of social and political injustice, replaced a brutal one-party system with a multitude of groups advocating a rich range of ideologies and created a free press.” I’d say that’s a good start. The finish is going to be as we said way back: the dominoes will tremble, shake and, finally fall. If we had done nothing, Hussein would eventually have his nukes and we’d have a much different and much more difficult problem than rebuilding Iraq: we’d be rebuilding American cities. Now
that would be something to protest. |