The Nation-Builders

Our foreign policy has changed so much under the Bush administration that I forget
that nation-building use to be Democratic issue, not a Republican one. George Bush
during the 2000 debates said he was clearly against nation-building, yet that's what
we are doing in Iraq:



Then I read Angelina Jolie's piece in the Washington Post saying that we need to
stay in Iraq and I'm reminded, yes, there use to be a time when when liberals use
to be nation-builders. I know Angelina Jolie has never said she's a liberal or a
Democrat. However, I have a gut feeling she probably agrees with most liberal
positions, from social to economic, except for the issue of staying in Iraq.

Here's a portion of what Ms. Jolie writes:

What we cannot afford, in my view, is to squander the progress that
has been made. In fact, we should step up our financial and material
assistance. UNHCR has appealed for $261 million this year to provide
for refugees and internally displaced persons. That is not a small amount
of money -- but it is less than the U.S. spends each day to fight the war
in Iraq. I would like to call on each of the presidential candidates and
congressional leaders to announce a comprehensive refugee plan with a
specific timeline and budget as part of their Iraq strategy.

As for the question of whether the surge is working, I can only state what
I witnessed: U.N. staff and those of non-governmental organizations seem
to feel they have the right set of circumstances to attempt to scale up their
programs. And when I asked the troops if they wanted to go home as soon
as possible, they said that they miss home but feel invested in Iraq. They
have lost many friends and want to be a part of the humanitarian progress
they now feel is possible.

I was so surprised to read a Hollywood actress calling for us to stay in Iraq. Then,
I thought, "Wait, why should I be?" Remember, not only has Bush changed his
position from 2000 but so has the Democratic Party.