sensible ideas

I've thought for a long time that the right answer to the Iraq situation is (and has been since about 1933) to partition the damn thing. But what I did not realize is that there was a better proposal than the naive tripartite one. David Apgar has come up with a two-state division which creates one all-Shiite state and one state with a 40-40-20 ethnic mix. What's brilliant about this isn't the rather naive assertion that the 20% Shiite population in the northern state will gain political influence by being kingmakers, but the fact that it torpedoes the idea of an independent Kurdistan (making those neighboring countries with any Kurdish population of their own much less uncomfortable) while not actually screwing the Kurds. The approximately even distribution of oil resources is also a nice touch.

Realpolitik in action. Now if only anyone would listen to him.