A. Barton Hinkle on Nation-Building Follies
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Master Sgt. Luther Morris Jr.)
One week from today, America will mark the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. That colossal mistake—more than 100,000 killed in a war over nonexistent WMDs—has cost America dearly: nearly 4,500 troop fatalities, and more than three-quarters of a trillion dollars. So much for nation-building abroad. And as A. Barton Hinkle observes, America's record at domestic nation-building isn't much better.