USA in Iraq-Will James Baker play Henry Kissinger ?

It is really interesting to see the developments in Iraq.

USA was hurt badly in Vietnam and went into an isolationist mode after that fiasco. Though it continued to meddle in other ways in various local conflicts, even by sending small number of troops (mostly under the advisors guise), the USA held back from any major military involvement.

Under the Democrats it also started on the path to peace and reconciliation and it was great to see that USSR and East Germany were neutralised by talks and economic aid. Another success was the opening to China and the resultant growth of economic freedom in China, which has contributed strongly to keep world growth going. USA has also done well in Technology development and this has helped countries like India to take good advantage with their brain power, software development etc.There is much to say for the good deeds of USA, though most of them may be not by design or planning.

It is really sad that one wrong decision by the people of USA to elect George Bush in 2000 has brought it to the current situation of being hated by almost the entire world. May be we can blame the then Supreme Court for their historic decision to award the Presidency to Bush.

Now Bush has exorcised the ghost of Vietnam and has involved America in another long military debacle, this time in the volatile region of Middle East. This has damaging and drastic consequences for the world at large and particulary to USA. The huge amount of money spent to continue this war could have been used better elsewhere or in developing US economy itself.

How did one person change the American psyche which was hung over the Vietnam Fiasco and recruit most of the USA to support the involvement in Iraq ? Americans in their poor wisdon gave him the Presidency and they will continue to pay for it in many ways in the coming years.

May be the Vietnam hangover will be replaced by the Iraq hangover, but Bush has to extricate America from Iraq first.

Will he follow the Vietnam script for this too?
Or will it be the next President's job?

May be James Baker can play Henry Kissinger and bring about the American withdrawal?

I would like to recall a quote I read a few years back in Newesweek
'The only thing we ever learn from History is that no one really learns anything from History'

Though History keeps repeating itself.
How appropriate.