As American politicians and commentators search desperately for ideas to end the war in Iraq, the word “benchmarks” has become a household word. For the most part, the talk has been about setting benchmark dates for the Iraqi government to meet American demands for independence and stability.
Am I alone in seeing the irony of the U.S. unilaterally dismantling a country’s government, blowing up most of the infrastructure, inciting the insurgency of radical terrorists, failing to establish a secure environment, supporting a corrupt reconstruction paradigm and then righteously complaining that said nation get itself together or else?!
What about benchmarks for ourselves? How can we set parameters for other countries, especially those we have attacked, when we aren’t able to accomplish our own goals. (more…)