Quote Originally Posted by Pannonian
Tommy Franks was one of the few generals who had experience and were willing to take on the task. However, he was too much of a Powellist for the administration's tastes, so they soon replaced him with Bremer, who was a liberal extremist like themselves. Freedoms everywhere predictably led to anarchy and stupendous levels of corruption, as had happened in post-Tsarist Russia. Liberals elsewhere understand their idealism have to tempered by the need to avoid revolution. Given a blank slate and no need to account to the populace, the US administration in Iraq was free to pursue their liberalist dreams without the need to observe practical restrictions, and the result is what we see now.
Hmmm. I'd need more data points, but your assessment smacks of reality. Good idea -- miserable political execution seems to be central to the occupation so far.