Are we going to see a kinder, gentler America?

I recall years ago, when George H.W. Bush became the 41st president of the United States, his stated intent was to ensure there would be a kinder, gentler America. This came in the wake of the great-feeling greedfest of the Ronald Reagan presidency, for which Bush I was vice president.

Everybody liked Ronald Reagan, a great promoter and example of the American Dream. It was under his presidency greed became “in� and the divide among well-off and poorer Americans grew.

That spread to other countries. In Central America, reactionary elements gained much support from the American military and intelligence services to suppress popular movements, along with the less savoury revolutionaries.

The recent election in Nicaragua, in which Daniel Ortega was returned to power after being driven out 16 years ago, is indicative of how things have begun to turn around.

Ortega was no choirboy back then - he had too much attitude for his time - but his then-radical government was an undeserving target of the American-backed Contra fighters set up during the Reagan era. If he wasn't necessarily an enemy at first, Ortega was certainly put in the position of being one then.

Now he's back - older, wiser, with more varied allies; and he’s an uncanny sign the American journey of the last half-dozen years has come to an end.

Let's not forget the Reagan government also supported Islamic militants against the Soviets operating in Afghanistan - hence the current situation.

During the Reagan era, billions were also spent on military acquisitions with the intent to burn out the fragile economy and military industrial complex of the Soviet Union. It worked, but it left quite a legacy in Russia, the United States and elsewhere.

Despite his intentions, the first President Bush wound up with the Reagan-era legacy - hence Nicaragua and Panama.

Democrat Bill Clinton presided over a massive economic growth in his two presidencies, and there was considerable move toward compassion.

Then Bush's son came to power. Unlike his dad, he didn't even set out to bring about kindness and gentleness.

Then came 911.

The war in Iraq was the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time. Saddam Hussein was a bad guy all right. He vocally encouraged terrorists against Israel and handed over $25,000 to the families of suicide bombers. He also allowed international terrorists to retire to Iraq. But that was it. Bad guys like to control things, and active terrorists aren't the kind of folks someone like him could trust or tolerate.

That said, as soon as the Americans, British and assorted allies crossed the start line in April 2003, there was no alternative but victory.

The issue was - and will be, particularly with a Democrat House of Representatives and Senate, not to mention new Defense Secretary - what is victory?

The victory came as soon as Saddam's government went down for the count in 2003. There was no need to smash up the army, the police or even the Republican Guard. There was no need to hang around and get everybody pissed at you.

An old rule in settling down a rowdy barracks is for the NCO or officer to go in, loudly lay down the law, utter a threat or two and get the hell out. Don't make eye contact, don't engage in any dialogue, don't get physical. Just get out.

That wasn't done in Iraq. It's cost us all.

After all, the Americans - and their allies, including Canada - already had their hands full with our obligation to rebuild Afghanistan after the Taliban were driven out in 2002.

Some say Afghanistan has seen three decades of strife. In fact, they haven't seen three decades of peace in centuries - possibly millennia.

Peace probably will take place - eventually. After all, there has been quite a bit of that going on in the United States during the past week or so.

We're likely going to see more of it.

How the president can say he couldn't see the Democrat steamroller coming is beyond me. I'm amazed it was much larger in the Senate. Then again, maybe that's an indication of how much attitude adjusting still needs to take place. Mindless tax cuts, spending on the Iraq intervention gone wild and continuing divisions within the American social fabric need attention and remedy right now.

Americans have two more years until there is a new president. We still have no idea who he - or she - will be.