Jonah Goldberg Admits Mistake, Loses Mind.

So one of the must smug of neo-con National Review war cheerleaders now says that the Iraq war was a mistake.

Read the myriad justifications and instantaneous back-tracking and weep. These are the voices that hold (held?) sway over crucial opinion-formulation in main stream media during the run-up and first phase of the war. Editor and Publisher provides solid perspective here.

The most head shaking, mind bending conclusion Jonah reaches is that we should have a referendum in Iraq and let the Iraqis decide if we should go. Quoth Jonah:

If Iraqis voted "stay," we'd have a mandate to do what's necessary to win, and our ideals would be reaffirmed. If they voted "go," our values would also be reaffirmed, and we could leave with honor. And pretty much everyone would have to accept democracy as the only legitimate expression of national will.

What?

If the people we invaded thrust us out as an occupying power because they hate us for destroying their country and allowing a vicious, bloody civil war to fill a power vacuum created by us -- our values are reaffirmed? What values in particular are reaffirmed by failure and humiliation?

And..."pretty much everyone would have to accept democracy as the only legitimate expression of national will." Who exactly is everyone? Kim Jung-Il? The Iranians? Dick Cheney?