You know, given that we invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, whatever I felt about those adventures at the time or what I feel about them now, I do wish we had "done it right," gone in and paved the streets with gold, or at least built a few power plants and sewage treatment plants. Hell, maybe a supertrain or two. But I think the lesson we need to learn is that hostile
military occupation and nation building are just not compatible. You go to war with the military-industrial complex you have, not the one you want, and the one we have didn't especially care if that power plant was built right.
