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I imagine that O'Reilly's sort of plan is how many evil dictatorships start: "We have no choice but to crack down hard for a few weeks, to impose order at all costs. Once our enemies have been defeated, then we can worry about niceties like 'civil liberties' and 'rule of law'". And inevitably the "few weeks" stretch on into months, then years, and eventually any initial impulse towards a democratic society is forgotten. Meanwhile, the combination of constant fear, daily violence, and absolute power makes the dictator's actions become more and more draconian, which fuels the chaos the dictator is ostensibly fighting.
It's quite likely that if you travelled back in time and showed the 20-year-old Saddam Hussen what he would be like later on, he would be quite shocked at his own future actions. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions and bad judgment.
So I'm glad that O'Reilly isn't in charge in Iraq. Unfortunately, I don't have much confidence that the people who are in charge are any better.
-Jeremy
