This is the message that ought to be coming from the Democratic hopefuls, quite possibly.
- 1. Iraq is a very wealthy country. Every Iraqi citizen can share in the great oil and gas wealth that has yet to be developed.
- 2. Fitna is therefore the great damn that holds Iraqis back. Today's small sacrifices for peace will be repaid 1,000 fold in prosperity, surely, even within a generation.
- 3. America and the coalition have opened a door to Iraqis to seize their future, providing ballot box protection against tyrants and the corruption that wealth invites, but they cannot hold it open forever.
This is a short, clear message, consistent with Odierno's latest. It's moral emphasis is on individual responsibility and collective compromise for the greater good (a clear shot at any selfish clerics or shortsighted politicians).
It's far better to use the Presidential bully pulpit for this, than to tout "stay the course" for "Victory", a message that won't resonate within Iraq, etc.
