In a piece in this month’s Atlantic, Nir Rosen offers a succinct, compelling argument for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq as soon as possible.

If the rationale for the U.S. presence is to do what’s good for the Iraqis, Rosen reminds us that most Iraqis — even the country’s Shia majority, increasingly a target of terror attacks — want foreign soldiers out of their country, and leaving would allow the Iraqi leadership to promote democracy without being branded collaborators. If the rationale is that withdrawing would embolden America’s enemies, Rosen points out that the insurgency is almost entirely a homegrown phenomenon, driven not by lust for global jihad but by nationalist resistance; it will dissipate without a foreign presence to rally against. If the rationale is that America must put an end to terrorism overseas, Rosen points out that terrorism thrives in a failed state like Iraq, where daily attacks on the occupiers and their perceived collaborators prevent the establishment of civil order. If the rationale is that Baghdad would fall if the troops leave, Rosen maintains that the stronger Shia and Kurdish armed forces would never allow the Sunni resistance to take over the city. And if the rationale is that Iraq would fall apart if America withdraws, Rosen notes that this is happening already: The presence of U.S. troops is encouraging civil war, and the best of the painful options that remain is to leave Iraq alone, allow the Kurds to secede, and give up the dream for now of a purely secular, human rights-loving, democratic paradise in Iraq.

It is a bitter pill to swallow. For one thing, many Americans genuinely want a positive outcome in Iraq, after thousands of lives and billions of dollars have been expended in the name of liberation. They want, above all, an end to the violence. To leave with such uncertainty still looming over Iraq may seem like a defeat. But it is nonetheless the right thing to do. Perhaps the French had similar uncertainties after they helped the Americans vanquish the British at Yorktown: Why not stay for a few decades more, help the Americans with their terrorist problem in the western Indian lands, prevent the fractious new government from falling apart, and protect French interests across the continent? But the French chose to leave, and the American experiment in democracy survived.

For those of us who care about the rights of women and minorities, it would be preferable if Iraq became a truly secular nation, with protections for those groups that are typically oppressed under fundamentalist governments. With stability the most pressing concern in Iraq, that may be too much to demand right now. But this does not mean that progress will never come. America has spent more than three centuries extending the rights of white, Christian, male property owners to a wider circle; perhaps Iraq deserves some time to make a similar transition on its own. With any luck, the example of other countries will move it quickly along that path. But in any case, democracy means allowing the people to decide for themselves what they want. Until America’s troops leave, the Iraqis will never really have that chance.

Victor Tan Chen Victor Tan Chen is In The Fray's editor in chief and the author of Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy. Site: victortanchen.com | Facebook | Twitter: @victortanchen

In today’s New York Times, Lawrence Downes scrutinizes the legacy of Pat Morita, the Japanese American actor best known for playing the role of sensei to a barely pubescent Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid:

The movie and TV industry has never had many roles for Asian-American men, and it seemed for a while that they all went to Mr. Morita. He made his debut as “Oriental No. 2” in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in 1967 and never stopped working. He hit two peaks — as Arnold the diner owner on TV’s “Happy Days” and the wise old Mr. Miyagi in the “Karate Kid” movies — and spent the rest of nearly 40 years roaming an endless forest of bit parts.

He was Mahi Mahi, the pidgin-talking cabby in “Honeymoon in Vegas,” Lamont Sanford’s friend Ah Chew in “Sanford and Son,” Brian the waiter in “Spy Hard,” Chin Li the Chinese herbalist in “The Karate Dog.”

Whenever a script called for a little Asian guy to drive a taxi, serve drinks or utter wise aphorisms in amusingly broken English, you could count on Mr. Morita to be there.

Those who knew Mr. Morita say he was a man of uncommon decency and good humor. He fulfilled the actor’s prime directive, to keep busy.

But it’s distressing to think that the life’s work of one of the best-known, hardest-working Asian-American actors is mostly a loose collection of servile supporting roles.

It wasn’t for lack of trying. Born to migrant farmworkers in California and confined to an internment camp in Arizona during World War II, Morita decided to become a stand-up comic and actor at a time when Hollywood was “interested only in the stock Asian,” Downes writes. Little changed during Morita’s lifetime:

Harold Sakata played Oddjob in “Goldfinger” and was typecast as a mute brute forever after. Philip Ahn played houseboys and villains for decade upon decade.

Some actors — well, a couple — broke out, like George Takei, Mr. Sulu in “Star Trek” [who recently broke another taboo by publicly acknowledging he was gay], and Jack Soo on “Barney Miller.” B.D. Wong’s role on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is a major improvement, but it will be a long, long time before we erase the memory of the bucktoothed, jabbering Mickey Rooney in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” or Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan.

Watch Rob Schneider play Ula, a leering Hawaiian in the Adam Sandler movie “50 First Dates,” with a pidgin accent by way of Cheech and Chong, and you get the sense that Hollywood still believes that there is no ethnic caricature a white actor can’t improve upon.

Actually, Rob Schneider is hapa, or half-Asian — his mother is Filipina. I’m not sure if that extra sliver of “authenticity” makes his racial buffoonery any better — or just more depressing.

But lately there have been some promising developments on the Asian American cinema front, thanks in part to the growing visibility of new Asian American directors like Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow) and Eric Byler (Charlotte Sometimes). Last night I saw Saving Face, by first-time director Alice Wu, a film that is at once a lesbian love story, an intergenerational Asian American tale of culture clash, and a comedy of manners — all the while playing with genres and conventions to create something uniquely heartfelt, universal, and funny. I recommend you see it, if anything just to gape at Joan Chen’s brilliance as a comedic actor (or just to gape at her, I guess).

As for Morita, we may yet see a different side of the late actor in Only the Brave. This film — now in search of a distributor — tells from an Asian American viewpoint the story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a Japanese American unit whose families were held in the government’s internment camps but who nevertheless fought valiantly for their country in World War II. Judged by its size and length of service, the so-called “Purple Heart Battalion” is the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. Morita plays a Buddhist priest imprisoned in Hawaii after the Pearl Harbor attacks.

Of course, Morita will probably always be remembered, with genuine fondness, as Mr. Miyagi, that ever-upbeat font of fortune cookie wisdom and helpful car-waxing tips. But hopefully younger generations will place Morita in the context of his times and also appreciate the pioneer he was — and the actor he could not be.

Victor Tan Chen Victor Tan Chen is In The Fray's editor in chief and the author of Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy. Site: victortanchen.com | Facebook | Twitter: @victortanchen

… to get greedy, reports The Scotsman:

Police arrested a man at a Wal-Mart in Orlando, Florida, after he allegedly jumped a queue to buy a bargain notebook computer and was wrestled to the ground. Shoppers at another Wal-Mart store, in Texas, complained that a security guard used pepper spray when scuffles broke out….

A crowd of shoppers sparked a melee in the rush for the new Xbox 360 video game console at a Wal-Mart store in north-east Maryland, and it took 10 police officers to restore order….

Some customers were knocked down and trampled, though there were no serious injuries. Then Wal-Mart decided to cancel the sale and police ordered everyone to leave.

In western Michigan’s Cascade Township, a woman fell as dozens of people rushed into a store for the 5am opening and several stepped on her.

When the rush ended, the woman and a 13-year-old girl suffered minor injuries.

Put an end to the senseless violence. Support Buy Nothing Day. Because an Xbox 360 is a terrible thing to be trampled for.

Victor Tan Chen Victor Tan Chen is In The Fray's editor in chief and the author of Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy. Site: victortanchen.com | Facebook | Twitter: @victortanchen

Michael Kinsley, in Friday’s Washington Post:

The longer the war goes on, the more Americans, “allies” and Iraqis will die. That is not a slam-dunk argument for ending this foreign entanglement. But it is worth keeping in mind while you try to decide whether American credibility or Iraqi prosperity or Middle East stability can justify the cost in blood and treasure. And don’t forget to factor in the likelihood that the war will actually produce these fine things.

The last man or woman to die in any war almost surely dies in vain: The outcome has been determined, if not certified. And he or she might die happier thinking that death came in a noble cause that will not be abandoned. But if it is not a noble cause, he or she might prefer not to die at all. Stifling criticism that might shorten the war is no favor to American soldiers. They can live without that kind of “respect.”

Instead of focusing on this important question — whether the goals of “American credibility or Iraqi prosperity or Middle East stability” are worth the war’s financial and human cost — our nation’s leaders seem obsessed with appearances. Does criticism of the war in Iraq hurt the morale of American soldiers? Does photographing the coffins of soldiers killed in action undermine public support for the war? Do revelations of prisoner abuse damage the popularity of the U.S. military abroad? Does voting for the war back then and voting for a withdrawal now endanger my reelection chances in 2006?

Does pulling the soldiers out now disrespect the sacrifice of those who have already died in Iraq?

Our leaders tend to dwell on superficial problems. The release of damaging reports, and not the reported situation. The appearance of flip-flopping, and not the circumstances that have changed. The deference paid to sacrifice, and not the sacrifice itself.

Rather than spending so much time on symbols and slogans, we might find it more helpful to deal with realities. Respect, after all, tends to last longer when it is rooted in the real world and not artful illusions. A good leader knows that the best way to show respect for those under his or her charge is making fair, honest, and informed decisions — not pandering to them, not savaging critics, not wishing bad news away.

The decision to stay or leave Iraq cannot be made lightly, pushed along by either the inertia of poll numbers or the incitement of insults like “coward.” It deserves a fair, honest, and informed debate in Congress.

That would be the best way to honor the sacrifice of those who have died.

Victor Tan Chen Victor Tan Chen is In The Fray's editor in chief and the author of Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy. Site: victortanchen.com | Facebook | Twitter: @victortanchen