Of Empire And Iraw

In this month's Atlantic Online, there is an interview with writer Niall Ferguson, the author of 'Colossus'. In this piece he opines on the problems in Iraq, 9/11 and the American problem with nation building. What I find interesting in this article is that he is a self described Americophile. He wants Iraq to succeed. Yet, thought his research, he shows how this endeavor, like many undertaken in America's past, may fail precisely because our own inherent cultural differences.

One excellent points that he makes is:

"One of the problems Americans have is this desire to be loved. Legitimacy isn't necessarily based on affection. It's based on credibility. And I think what we're seeing in Iraq is just the latest in a series of tests of American resolve and credibility."