If the results are better and they cost less in blood and money, I take "empire light".

The folly of neo-cons is that they had no idea what does it take to obtain direct control over a country.  Their template was Central America with reactionary pro-American elites.  You supported the elite against guerilla, or Contras against Sandinista.  This were occupations of neo-cons in their formative years.

Already in South America this model does not work.  Why the elite, democratic or not, should be pro-American?   Because they should love freedom?  Do we look like freedom over there?

Our policies in Muslim countries during the last, say, 20 years, at best created some "friends of convenience" who privately despise us.  The latest invention, bombing cities so one can conduct democratic elections in them, is defying reason.  Perhaps we will fail, there will be no elections there anyway.  Perhaps we will succeed partially, there will be elections rigged so our favorites will win.  Or perhaps we will succeed fully, there will be truly free elections, and 95% of the elected deputies will either hate us (Sunni Arabs?  Sadrist Shia?) or despise us (moderate ayatollahs).

Seems like loose-loose preposition.