Change is good and Iraq is in the middle of many. Since the U.S. and England are the prime change bringers, let’s look at what’s happening. To review (it’s the teacher in me): we were in a war, England helped us. Other small nations said they would. To me the help they gave was cheering on the sidelines. For this we would pour money into their small country. We buy lots of &uot;friends&uot; that way Actually most nations hate us but love our generosity. Friends? Ha!

I’ve got one country that joined the &uot;help the U.S. club&uot; Poland. Guess they appreciate that we love their polka – not everybody does. They supported us while France, China, Germany, and Russia threatened to veto when approval for war should come up in the United Nations.

Let’s take a shot at showing their &uot;friendship.&uot; We helped France in WWII. We still have troops in Germany helping them live sanely. To Russia we loaned a bundle. We love everybody but they don’t love us. See what I mean?

Now back to Iraq. We have the head man there. He is Ambassador Paul Bremer. His job? Simple! He has to establish a democratic government, hire a police force and start recruiting an army. All this in a country or Muslims who hate us and want us to leave. Simple? But of course!

On May 1 President Bush declared the end of the war being fought but never said &uot;end of the war&uot; just the fighting. Mr. Bremer is doing a great job. The problems are in the hundreds. You’re setting up a democratic government in a Muslim country. You expect the Iraqis to love us? Never happen! If we get their electricity on, their water running and their stores open, they might even like us a little. Maybe. The job is monumental; and fought at every suggestion by the Americans trying so hard to make the new Iraq better for all. Good luck.

Florence Arena is a resident of Hillcrest Retirement Center and a regular News-Herald columnist.