One last thing. We had build up a lot of, if you will, moral equity with the world after 9/11. Everyone, for the most part, backed us in Afganistan. Iraq was the classic overreach that tossed all of it out the window and represented the worst fears - real or not - of people in that region (and around the world) re. the USA and our motives.
In the end, I'm not sure the benefits you presented outweigh that loss of equity. At least not in my opinion. I believe we had a powerful thing going and squandered our opportunity to maximize it to the fullest.
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