The triumphalism after Qadaffi’s fall last year was particularly distasteful for a few reasons. Coming from the same voices on the Left who had attacked Bush’s war, like the Center for American Progress and Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos, it was hypocritical and cynical. It was also amazingly used to excuse the blatant illegality of Obama’s intervention in Libya.

Finally, the triumphalism was offputting because Iraq and Afghanistan should have taught us a lesson about declaring a war “won” once we topple its evil regime.