us and them

From that Ignatieff article:

Staying and leaving each have huge costs. One thing is clear: The costs of staying will be borne by Americans, while the cost of leaving will be mostly borne by Iraqis. That in itself suggests how American leaders are likely to decide the question.

Does he believe that “staying” has cost the Iraqis nothing? Anyway, lotsa waffle. I get the impression that over Iraq the blaze from his perfect conscience was so glaring that it overshadowed his judgment. Now the two are apparently better balanced, though he’ll still come out with any old bollocks if he can make it into an aphorism.