[snarf21]

It is such a travesty what we've done in the middle east. We kept toppling people we thought we're bad and are surprised that the puppet doesn't have support. Maybe the stability that was there was hard one. Maybe everyone in Iraq hating Suddam equally was a very stabilization lodestone instead of them all fighting each other. What we did is like dropping a bomb into a river, it is going to take decades for a new stabilization to occur.

[itsoktocry]

>Maybe the stability that was there was hard one.

Stability is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition.

Propping up dictators because they are "stable" is something the West has done - to little success - for a long time.

[throwaway769879]

Toppling dictators because they are "evil" is something the West has done - to little success - for a long time

[andrepd]

The West never toppled one dictator for being "evil". It toppled many for not being profitable.