15 Years Of War In Iraq, A Legacy John Bolton Has Yet To Reckon With

Bolton has supported the idea of US enforced "regime" change in Iran and North Korea. He has also voiced support for "preemptive" strikes against both nations.

"Cry havoc and unleash the dogs of war."

The US is pretty good at winning it’s wars (exception: Vietnam), but lousy at follow-through (exception: post WWII Japan and Germany). In the late 20th, early 21st Century, we’ve sunk to new lows at “winning the peace”. Immediately after we perceived / declared “victory” after Desert Storm, the US “beat down the door” heading for the exit” . The phrase, “What’s your exit strategy” ruled the day..... The same thing happened during the Iraq war, only we created a much larger vacuum when we headed for the “exit”. Then we were agonizingly slow to confront ISIS when they started to fill the vacuum we had left. ISIS was, after all, only “Junior Varsity” - so what’s the emergency? The war in Syria was also “ineptly” played, which provided opportunity for the Russians to establish their hegemony in the area. Our practice of appeasement has never worked as well in practice as it has on paper. Consider how appeasement created the “two Germanys, the two Chinas, and the two Koreas - back in the day. Only economics (and resulting collapse of the Soviet- East German alliance) won the day in uniting Germany, while the China and Korean dichotomys are yet to play out.
Because Communism/socialism tends to be totalitarian end “dictatorial” in nature, the Soviets were especially good at appointing “puppet” governments, anannihilating their opposition, and creating “puppet states” ruled under an Iron Fist. In contrast, the US and Western governments are disadvantaged by their attempts to promote forms of Democracy - simply because you cannot “force” people to embrace democracy. “Enforcing flies in the face” of what you believe. You have to “schmoose and woo” them - even “throw money” at them...... which makes for more difficult and expensive transitions, particularly when trying to introduce them into democratic systems they have never known........