The entire viewpoint of the article appears to depend on some sort of failure and breakdown in the Iraq project to spark debate. Recent developments "on the ground" show a much greater chance of a successful ending to it. Iraq may not even be the biggest single issue for next year, what with illegal immigration coming up fast.

John D. Froelich

Upper Darby, PA

The Washington elite know quite well what is the public frame is on foreign afffairs. The Zogby International survey shows 52 percent of Americans would support a strike on Iran, and this number is going up. All the major candidates are dancing to the War Party's tune as played by the Main Stream Media, financed by the defense contractors and danced to by House and Senate members immersed in the patronage of local defense contractor jobs and military bases.

The top three Democrats all want more military spending, a bigger force and say 2013 would be a good year to leave Iraq. Have any of the leading Democrats condemned the three aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf, denounced the lies about Iranian arms, renounced the blatant lie about Ahmenedinejad's threat to Israel, questioned the expansion of NATO despite promises to Russia we wouldn't, talked about the new radar station and missiles in Russia's back yard or mentioned our employ of the terrorist group the MEK for sabotage in Iran?

The Hegemon and the Empire are one in the same. They exist for the neoliberal economics that swell the pockets of the multinational corporations through the IMF and the World Bank, who legalize the theft of said countries' natural resources.

The military is only one arm of the Empire. The British Empire subsidized the East India Company and others by first reasoning with foreign powers, as do the IMF and World Bank today; they would resort to military action only when all else failed, as we have done throughout Latin America and the rest of the world.

Have any of the leading Democrats denounced these free trade deals that only serve the multinationals, to the detriment of both countries and both peoples? Have any of the leading Democrats questioned the WTO? Hegemon or Empire, it's all about the multinationals, the rest is the means to an end.

Try reading Confessions of an Economic Hitman because the finance ministers in most other countries already have. They are wise to us. That's why there is "Disaster Capitalism" for those that would resist or are just unlucky enough to get hit by a hurricane or an earthquake.

The War Party and its clients the Miilitary Industrial Congressional Complex and the multinationals own us, lock, stock and barrel. There is no debate, at least not yet.

Michael McKinlay

Hercules, CA