Nationalism...how much is too much?

[Warspite]

it's a flawed comparation, because of the two distinct cultures and periods.

Their cultures do share the same undercurrents of militarism, divine authority in the head of state, contempt for the "weak and decadent" West, and class distinction.

It can be done. The only question is if we'll be willing to pay the cost to guarantee it done and not let the inevitable bitching in Europe and the Third World distract us.

Besides, MacArthur didn't allowed the US politics to meddle in it's plans for Japan, and mostly did an excelent job raising the country literally from the ashes. We will never see that in Iraq.

We shall see.

The whole Japanese way of life was ruled by the code of Bushido. You don't see that sort of thing in Iraq.
In Desert Strom, we see conscripts surrendering to Apaches, even to drones! They didn't go around yelling Banzai!, or commiting hara-kiri, because they don't have that kind of moral code.
The population is much more informed nowadays, some of the Japanese didn't know they had lost the war until the Emperor spoke on the radio, and most of them hadn't heard him in their lifetime.
Maybe I'm wrong, but most of the Iraqis are getting fed up with what's going on, and just want to get on with their life and Allah worship, remember that the more "fanatics" were the Republican Guard, a political force.
The Japanese are workaholics, I don't see much of the Iraqis spending 10 hours at work everyday for their entires lifes, enjoying a few days of vacation per year like the Japanese, but i'm on thin ice here.
Times are different, and again, it's a different culture.

The US will probably keep a stabilisation force to oversee a stable governamental transition, but as soon as they leave, it's going to be a free for all for the head office.

[Admiral Piett]

Speaking about your uber nation rebuilding capabilties last time I checked you were not rebuilding very well the portions of Jugoslavia under occupation.
I suppose that someone here will tell me that "we do not have interests in rebuilding Yugoslavia,they fucked their own country bla bla bla".But of course the dogma of the US capability to rebuild countries cannot be disputed,even if the only argument which supports this thesis is Japan,that you are repeating ad nauseam,because evidently you do not have anything else to use.Besides even the Mac Arthur regency was not so succesful as many here love to depict.The Zaibatsu for example were merely weakened.
Certainly Iraq can be rebuilt,the problem is if you are willing to pay the $$$.
With the economy stagnating,tax cutting and the increase in military expenditure I am somewhat sceptical that you are going to spare the money beyond the minimum necessary.
Hopefully Iraq will get a higher priority than Jugoslavia but at the best it will be rebuilt to pre 91 levels or little more and even that probably with european contributions.Anything better is a pipe dream.

[Admiral Piett]

The US will probably keep a stabilisation force to oversee a stable governamental transition, but as soon as they leave, it's going to be a free for all for the head office.

I do not think that the US is going to leave the place soon.I am getting the impression that the US want to make it the bastion of the american power in the middle east.

[Warspite]

The US will probably keep a stabilisation force to oversee a stable governamental transition, but as soon as they leave, it's going to be a free for all for the head office.

I do not think that the US is going to leave the place soon.I am getting the impression that the US want to make it the bastion of the american power in the middle east.

Yeah, probably... But for the sake of World Peace, Boeing and Airbus, I hope not! There's enough trouble with Israel already.