Install democracy 2005

Didn't the U.S. install a democracy in Vietnam once upon a time...?

The U.S. Congress appears to want to keep U.S. forces in Iraq till the job is done, until "victory" is won. Of course, they have not defined what will constitute victory, except in shifting terms. The latest definition of victory might be the establishment of an elected government under the new Iraqi constitution. But how meaningful will the establishment of such a government actually be in historic terms? Will the entire process established by the U.S. in its administration of a government of Iraq by the U.S., for the U.S. and of the U.S. stand the test of time?

The former U.S.-installed government of the Republic of Vietnam certainly did not stand the test of time. Yes, the U.S. sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to Vietnam once upon a time. And the U.S. helped institute a democracy in Vietnam with elected president who depended upon the U.S. for security much as the current elected Iraqi government does now. And the Vietnamese insurgency took hold and eventually ran the U.S. and its formidable military out of Vietnam, just as the Iraqi insurgents are in the process of doing.

Full article here.