You do realize that, to a great extent, "democracy", as you believe it should function, serving as a secretive tool to protect and spread western culture throughout the world and maintain dominance in and over the world, is beginning to approach the very fascism we sought to rid the world of in the 1940's.If the aim of, chiefly, the United States, is to maintain it's dominance and to spread a blanket of cultural hegemony in the world by military means rather than the through the development and spread of it's own capitol (intellectual resources as well as hard resources), than how is that, functionally, so different from what the axis powers were trying to do in the 1930's and 1940's. How can we endeavor to dominate and spread our culture to all corners of the world and not expect hatred and retaliation from those we are seeking to change and subvert to our own ends. If we really wish to foster democracy and the spread of "humane" culture, at least as we see it, history has shown a thousand times over, the easiest, most effective, and most enduring way is by the spread of our cultural goods, Levis, Coca-Cola, and Hollywood. Historically, when the masses want western goods they will force change in their own culture. To try and force change through militarism will only breed hatred and backlash and the more you interfere the more hate you will cultivate. Furthermore, as has been proven throughout history, nationalism and empire, be they hard or soft, if held by military might are always economically untenable. _______________________________________Chance, I do know, and have read, the article you're referring to. It claims, with arguably credible evidence, planning for the invasion of Iraq began in February of 2001. However, in modern America sense it wasn't reported by Fox news or Rush Limbaugh, it will be disregarded as liberal media bias and propaganda, without consideration for the merit of the evidence or further question, and relegated to a mere footnote of history. Much like during the first gulf war, when the U.S. state department told Saddam Hussein personally that the U.S. strongly discouraged but would not intervene if he invaded Kuwait. That tape was ran several times in the media before the first gulf war began in January but thereafter has been lost to only those who care to remember.