Another view

Michael Yon has done a great series about what is actually going on in Iraq. A former Special Forces soldier, he now works as an independent reporter, and has some fantastic stuff to read. He is nor blind supporter of the war, but instead looks at it from the perspective of a professional soldier. No BS either way, and is well worth a read.
This reminds me of the word Weltanschauung. It's German, and we usually translate it as "World view." But this is inadequate as a definition. the word is really better understood as the way you look at the world around you, based on your experiences, and what you hold to be important.
Right now, the Democrats are continuing their assertion that the war in Iraq is lost, and any further continuance is a mistake, and may be possibly criminal. The leading Democrats all repeat the same mantra that the war cannot be won militarily, but instead has to be won politically. Well, Duh! They forget the axiom of Clausewitz that war is just politics by other means. They are inseparable.
But another problem with the Democrat's Weltanschauung is that they look to a strong and centralized government to solve their problems. Local governments serve only to carry out the mandates from on high. But Iraq is not the same as America (Another Duh!)
Tribalism carries more weight than what we are used to. But the Sheiks of Anbar may just be the start of making a change that the elected government in Baghdad cannot make. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
Our troops on the ground under Gen. Petraeus are having an effect on the direction that the tribes are making. If we can continue in this way, it is entirely possible that the local situation will improve without the assistance of the Maliki government.
That is not necessarily a bad thing.