Partly Facetious: US takes a leaf from Jewish history in Syria

"The two shining successful examples of American foreign policy coups..."
"Iran and Afghanistan, yes. Success is here, success of the neo-conservative policy of enforcing democracy after war, or so we are told. People's power."
"Maybe we need to wait a bit before we proclaim success. I mean the crime rate in both countries is horrendous and neither country has so far dealt with ethnic divide nor sectarian divide - I mean these are issues that persist in Afghanistan and the insurgency is making a mockery of US success in Iraq."
"True but we must not underestimate people's power."
"Yes the US has been successful in browbeating Syria because of people's power in Lebanon and even though the Syrians have commenced troop withdrawal it seems that it is not fast enough to appease the Americans and certainly just not enough, if you know what I mean."
"Reminds me of the story in the Quran. You remember the time when Moses leaves his people and returns to find them worshipping a calf. And God decrees that they sacrifice in His name as atonement. And then they make several excuses to Moses and constantly ask him to ask God questions about the calf, like how old she should be, what colour, and it says in the Quran that in the end they sacrificed though they almost did not."
"Yep the present US administration has certainly taken a leaf from early Jewish history. The Syrians say they are leaving, the Americans say it has to be now, they say we are leaving starting tomorrow and the US asks when will the process be complete. It is really beating the poor Syrians with a stick and every time they retreat as they are doing, the stick comes down again."
"Yes. But the situation will change. No power, superpower has remained so for long and it sows the seeds of its own destruction. I don't believe the terrorists who kill us common folk indiscriminately are ever going to be able to challenge the US but I think the US has alienated so many countries that a time will come when they will act in concert. And I just don't mean the countries they have occupied."
"Indeed. But shouldn't we learn a lesson from all this too. Must not our leadership undertake democratic reforms...as BB said so eloquently democratic principles must be enforced the world over and not just in Iraq?"
"Ah yes. And that is wishful thinking."