Reality vs Ideology
Weisman notes the similarities between the occupations of Germany and Japan that were forced to adapt to changed circumstances and world events such as the threat of Communist takeovers and the Cold War from the original ideas of punishing the countries for the damages they had wrought on the world.

The original plan for Germany included an idea to make it a pastoral only country in order to prevent a resurgence of Nazism. The Cold War realities of conflict with the USSR forced the end of that idea. Japan was re-militarized after the beginning of the Korean War. In both cases practical considerations ended up changing the outcomes of the occupations.

The artlcle pretty much cuts the legs out from under the Democrats who’ve been whining about the lack of a plan for post war Iraq. They are still right to criticize the Administration for attacking a country that was no real threat to the US for either terrorism or weapons of mass destruction, and for making shaky intelligence appear to support their morally and legally unjustifiable but ideologically predetermined policy of preemptive war. But as far as I can tell, the Democrats have no plan for Iraq’s future, either, and it seems to me that in order to be credible they need to come up with better ideas than just to bug out. That would only compound the mistakes already made.

Sunday, January 18, 2004