Tuesday's guest column on the Iraq war argues with a distinctly twisted premise. The author assumes that we have some right or duty to spread democracy to other countries and that Iraq was a good target. That's ludicrous. Other countries have the right to choose different forms of government.
The author states "In breaking Iraq we bought it." We are not charged with building a democracy in Iraq. Indeed, our current domestic situation shows we don't have the power to do so.
After World War I, the Entente Powers did not install its own governments in the countries of the defeated Central Powers.
The numerous countries created in the wake of World War I adopted their own forms of government. Yes, Saddam was a vicious dictator, but he is now dead.
The burden is now on the Iraqis to create their new government. We do bear a large responsibility for the current instability in Iraq and should aid the Iraqis in rebuilding once a stable government forms there.
We cannot, in good conscience, force democracy upon the Iraqis. We do not have that right. If they want it, they will build it.
