Hi Sflori,

Just heard about the projected costs of this little confrontation. I tell ya there are easier ways of showing the world that democracy is better.

Can any one think of a better way for the US to spend those funds?

Even now one could craft a micro experiment.
Take a few sample villages and isolate them. To a few go in clean house and bring up the std of living, to the others show them whats happening in the other villages. I am sure before long the villagers will throw out the goons so that they can get the fruits from the democratic basket.

The best thing the democratic nations of the world can do is band together and lift the standard of level for the model, it will sell itself. Can you imagine how quickly the "voters" of the countries with other forms of government will vote for democracy.

It is sad that the Apache was destroyed, I would have voted to bring it out as a symbolic gesture. We should be going after the captured soldiers ASAP to bring em back now.