Troubles of Reconstructing Iraq

Reconstruction dollars - ten billion of them so far - didn't buy support for the occupation in Iraq as we had assumed, notes Andrew with a link to a troubling NYT report from Najaf where too much money has disappeared and many projects haven't been finished. Indeed, one has to ask if those responsible for handing out money to contractors and aid agencies never had any experiences of making business in the Middle East. Did they really expect that the corruption that penetrated the wrecked society, the pyramid hierarchy that teaches people to suck up and kick down and only look after themselves, would disappear over night? Or that there was a closeted sense of common good that everybody would embrace and prioritize above everything else once the dictator was gone? I am sorry; it is not as easy as that. That said, many are trying and with a leader able to rally the people and project a vision worth striving for on all levels, the society will slowly heal its wounds and come together. Chrenkoff did a great job blogging the good things coming out of Iraq; the facts speak for themselves and are in sharp contrast to the information we receive from other media. Read his piece in the WSJ. The Good News Central has picked up from where he left. Another positive resource is Winds of Change that also has a good archive of good news. Gateway Pundit and Publius Pundit are also worth the visit.