Autonomy

"Mr. Obama all but declared victory in Iraq, crediting the military but not Mr. Bush, who sent more troops in 2007. “A lesser Army might have seen its spirit broken,” Mr. Obama said. “But the American military is more resilient than that. Our troops adapted, they persisted, they partnered with coalition and Iraqi counterparts, and through their competence and creativity and courage, we are poised to end our combat mission in Iraq this summer.”"

In the same article we can read:

"And he defended efforts to revise counterterrorism policies that have generated sharp criticism that he is weakening America’s defenses. “We should not discard our freedoms because extremists try to exploit them,” he said. “We cannot succumb to division because others try to drive us apart.”"

From the NYT.

I think this is an important change of US foreign policy. Bush's idea of preemptive war is as wrong as his Haliburton company's idea of best practices in the Gulf of Mexico.

People make mistakes; even more so, hardheaded men of action, like Mr. Bush and Haliburton's main man Dick Cheney.


Obama is better.

Autonomy of the US and Afghanistan is crucial. The only way to deal with a sovereign country like Afghanistan, is respecting the country. Of course it works both ways, Afghanistan cannot serve as a base to send another set of "God Warriors" , expecting some war booty in heaven in the form of a number of virgins. Mutual respect among autonomous countries. Secure borders, ways to keep the country going, and the production of more children for the future.

Modern technologies give both sides the illusion that now they can destroy the other. That idea is wrong. Autonomous countries can only cooperate, not destroy the other.