Difference between revisions of "Balkans vs. Iraq"

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| Intervention justified on its merits. || Lies, damned lies and Tonkin Gulf-level lies.
 
| Intervention justified on its merits. || Lies, damned lies and Tonkin Gulf-level lies.
 
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| Readiness levels preserved. || Plummeting readiness: a military used-up.
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| [[US military readiness|Readiness]] levels preserved. || Plummeting [[US military readiness|readiness]]: a military used-up.
 
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| American consensus preserved. || America bitterly divided & weakened.
 
| American consensus preserved. || America bitterly divided & weakened.

Revision as of 01:12, 4 September 2006

Overview

The following is a comparison of the 1994 Balkan Intervention under Bill Clinton and the 2003 Invasion of Iraq under George W. Bush.

Points

Source: War in the 21st Century by David Brin

BALKANS INTERVENTION WAR IN IRAQ
A brutal dictator toppled. A brutal dictator toppled.
No American lives lost. 1000+ American lives lost, and more to come.
Competent aftermath; rapid economic & social recoveries. Incompetent aftermath; Iraq falls to resentful ruin.
A Western Alliance strengthened. A Western Alliance in shambles.
Intervention justified on its merits. Lies, damned lies and Tonkin Gulf-level lies.
Readiness levels preserved. Plummeting readiness: a military used-up.
American consensus preserved. America bitterly divided & weakened.
World acceptance of US moral leadership increased. World acceptance of US moral leadership nosedives.
Credibility & friendships in the Muslim world increased. Saudi-financed pan-Islamic coalescence into Jihad.
Success; Europe at peace after 4,000 years. Failure; we repeat every insanity of Vietnam.