When President Bush declared war on Iraq last March, he promised the Iraqi people freedom and democracy - with or without the help of the international community. Like the elephant in the living room, no one mentioned what US involvement in Hussein's rise to power might have been, or the "blind eye" turned to his cruel dictatorship. Facing long-term occupation, without a US peacekeeper in sight and little international support, some ask what the final cost of liberation will be.

• Spending on the Defense Department is nearly 20% of the federal budget - less than 1% of Washington spending is directed toward the State Department - historically the center of U.S. foreign policy
  
  
• At least 650 soldiers have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan to date

Afghanistan has yet to have an election, in spite of a multinational coalition of troops and peacekeepers. Can we expect it to be any easier doing it by ourselves in Iraq? The task before the US grows daily, the cost of war skyrockets, and blood continues to spill in countries that resent US presence. Many Americans wonder: Is this the way to build democracy?

And before we have succeeded "over there" we jumped into another fray in our own back yard - Haiti. Our apparent support of Haitian democracy rapidly eroded when the US, at best, permitted a military coup and at worst, forcibly removed the elected president from that country. Some argue that while President Aristide was imperfect, his real threat was toward the minority business elite. Do we have a responsibility to support democracy in other countries? What role does selfish interest play?

• In a country where 85% of the people live on $1 a day, US corporations like Wal-Mart and Disney control most of the raw materials and use Haiti as a cheap source of manufacturing labor

Analysts agree that the US acted too late to save Haiti and now must face the price of another nation building effort. But who determines what brand of democracy will flourish or fail - what will that decision cost?

As demonstrations and vigils around the world call for an end to war, can we find a road to peace? Is the US going to be in the business of building democracies? How can we best support democracy and maintain our economic interests? How do we balance our needs for safety and security - in a post 9/11 world - with the same needs of others? Can democracy building be effective as a conflict preventative measure - rather than as a bandage for a wound? Is going it alone, on our own time line, with guns blazing an effective foreign policy? Is it working?