"Be Careful What You Wish For"

By the looks of it, the nation-building aspect of the U.S. mission in Iraq is a failure. If getting rid of Saddam Hussein was done to pave the way for democracy, freedom and human rights, the Iraqi government doesn't seem to be headed in that direction. The latest moves signal the opposite, curtailing civil rights and passing laws that reflect a society in which religious dogma and practices are paramount and result in oppressive measures.

Still, if these laws are passed following the legislative process, then, by definition, they are the will of the people and the law of the land. After all, this is part of what a democracy is; the American way, so to speak. So, the U.S. shouldn't complain about what their intervention has wrought. One can find these things abhorrent, but if that's what people choose for themselves, so be it.

Or is another invasion and occupation in order, to force a particular notion of freedom on them?

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