Reply #3: Two words: Marshall Plan.

[democracyindanger]

Admittedly, that just covered Europe, but there was also a plan in place for Japan. These plans were prepared years in advance of the end of the war.

Also, while the German and Japanese armies surrendered, the defeated forces were used in securing their own country. In Iraq, the Iraqi Army was disbanded and the officers went into hiding--many of whom, it could be assumed, are part of the insurgency.

Speaking of the insurgency, there was no insurgency after Germany and Japan surrendered. There are stories of some German units that were supposed to fight a guerilla war after the Allies invaded, but if they existed, they did nothing.

Most importantly, the people put in charge of rebuilding Germany and Japan weren't 20-something political hacks. They were experts in their fields.

Oh yeah--and a DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT ran the show.