Lizard_King wrote:

Apparently.

Anyhow, I do see what you are saying, and in fact your view is fairly reasonable.

Lizard_King wrote:

But it is interesting what a polar opposite my view of Hussein's actions in the last decade are; I think they are wholly irrational UNLESS he was hiding something, seeing as how sanctions, bombings, and threats of war were endured and jerked around to the last minute. The search for sovereignty argument only goes so far; I don't know of many defeated governments that act like that unless they are hiding something.

Lizard_King wrote:

North Korea and Iran are different, and obviously so. Iran has a strong possibility of internal change within the next few years; Iraq had none. NK is surrounded by other powers capable of exerting pressure, including its backers, therefore it is an easy choice to use diplomacy. Their hate-mail is easy to handle as the limp-wristed bluff that it is.

Iraq is in the midst of a power vacuum. The Taliban made obvious that ignoring the despotic regimes in the Middle East when they acted up was foolish. Any successful strategy for reshuffling the region so it is not composed entirely of America-hating despots might as well begin there, especially when Hussein's continued presence did nothing but provide more reasons for eliminating him.

Lizard_King wrote:

I think you feel about Dean the way I felt about Forbes and his flat tax. But no one prompting national health care black holes is getting anywhere near my vote, no matter how much I like his 2nd amendment views.