January 30, 2005

• Here's hoping voters and election workers get home safely. My thoughts are especially with Talib Khadim kidnapped yesterday on union business in Baghdad. Following as it does the killing of Hadi Saleh it raises fears that elements of the insurgency are targetting those working for a secular Iraq.
• Here's hoping today will also be remembered as a day when , against all odds, democracy began to take root where it was once inhabitable. Yes, here's hoping. That nation has been through so much, it'd be wonderful if something went right for a change.
• Let the saccharine propaganda ring from every temple and oil field!
• I do hope things turn out well for Iraq. But I wouldnt compare it to the Berlin wall, an uprising that took place from the people of the country, rather than being imposed from outside with bombs and guns. And, honestly, from a purely cynical point of view, I dont know that democracy is always a good thing, in places that arent ready for it. Look at the chaos, war-mongering, and borderline facism of Russia's "democracy." At least dictatorships tend to be stable.
• The most popular and enduring image to emerge so far is the finger The power of universal language! Good for the Iraqi. Here is hoping that Shiites and Kurds can figure out how to deal with Sunnis from this point on.
• Here's a weird bit of Iraq election related violence: manager of English football team gets caught up in fighting between rival Iraqi groups driving past a polling station in Manchester.
• I'd hardly compare this to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The pushed aside majority is finally having their day while the once powerful minority sulks. That said, I wish them all well.
• Also liked this piece by the ever-informative Juan Cole. I share his suspicion that the enthusiasm of a lot of the right wing media is motivated more by the chance to say 'I told you so' to whinging lefties than a sense of fellow-feeling at the onward march of democracy.
• That may well be so. Of course all lefties are gracious, eh?
• Oh I know it's a two-way street stirfry. I've been involved in community politics and activism for years. It's taught me that you get further seeing people in terms of whether they're of good will and looking for a constructive solution rather than right or left, though I personally approach issues from the latter perspective. Sort of to say ideology has its uses but ideologues are frustrating.
• Hey! What are we going to do, complain that a bunch of folks who have been shat on by bombs and accidental-holy-fuck shootings{U.S coalition} blown to bloody crap{fundamental psychopaths} all after being terrorized for decades by mister-middle-ages Saddam {Imadesatanmybitch} Hussain, managed to toss a tiny piece of paper in a bucket to please say that for once, they might have a say in their own future, is wrong? They've got stakes, we've got morgages and empty love-lives. They have some reality that we have never seen. I envy them from my comfy chair and hope that something, anything good will come from this. The Iraqis' deserve it. One day before my time is done I hope to hear of them complaining about libary fees. Please..
• I wonder if the only reason why there was little violence on election day is because the insurgents wanted to see who won and assassinate them later.
• Assyrians have been prevented from voting in Iraq. Not all of them, however. I don't know what the text says, but these are apparently pictures of protests. The Assyrians, who claim identity with the ancient race of that name, are a Christian minority in the Kurdish areas of Iraq. More info about them here and here.
• A minority group (Kurds), oppressed for years, finally has a little freedom and power and they use it to oppress a minority (Assyrians) in their own region. Sounds all too familiar.
• I'm watching and waiting. I don't trust anyone spouting off about the arrival of democracy in Iraq. I wouldn't be surprised to see Iraq descend into (largely) civil war. I hope I'm wrong, but I can't bring myself to imagine that I am. Time will tell.
• Democracy is not a panacea, and this wouldn't be the first time that the US set up elections that only serve to reinforce their interests under a patina of national participation (see also: Nicaragua, Guatemala...) That, and something I find lacking in the election reports is a note on just who the "elegible voters" are. They're literate Iraqis over 30, who will give this election a very different spin than had, say, everyone over 18 been allowed to vote (especially in a country where 40% of the population is under 15). That said, America certainly started out with some pretty hardcore restrictions on universal sufferage, and over our 50-some elections, we've had decent leaders about half of the time. Here's to hoping Iraq gets the same or better.
• One of the points made by one of the commentators I read was that it's the second election that really shows if democracy is taking root - that is a government allowing itself to be peacefully removed from power. Then there's the lack of civil society institutions. I don't buy into the 'Arabs incompatible with democracy' line I've heard, but you can't go straight from a dictatorship to a functioning democracy via a top-down process. Perhaps this election will at least provide the possibility for popular organisations to become established, but the presence of so many armed groups doesn't bode at all well for peace and stability. There's a related article from 2003 here. Point 5 there is particularly apposite. This account from last year also speaks to this.
• So far so good. I hope it works out, despite all my doubts.
• Wish the Iraqi people well with all my heart. Wish to see the US apologize for what has been done to the landscape strewn with radioactive shell casings, for the destruction of the archeaological sites and especailly Babylon, for the gutting of the museums, for the thousands of dead and injured Iraqis, and those tortured and unjustly imprisoned. Don't expect this, but do wish it. And although I wish them well, I am not impressed by this election. There are high rates of lieracy in many Muslim countries; but the will to sustain a democratic process and continue such a form of government in the face of sectarian pressures has yet to be demonstrated in any of them. Until individuals respect and cherish their neighboir's rights, regardless of ethnicity or religion or politicval party, as well as they do their own, then democracy will remain an elusive goal. The question has been and remains: Will a population divided by religion and tradition and history be able to function democratically? Are Iraqis willing to set the past aside for sake of the future?
• democracy began to take root where it was once inhabitable Well, it was inhabitable until we generally bombed the crap out of it and then bombed the crap out of it some more. Oh, yeah, and for good measure, we bombed the crap out of it again. Sometimes we bombed the crap out of it because, you know, there it was and it looked like it needed the crap bombed out of it. Occasionally, we even bombed the crap out of it by mistake. Or that really special time when we bombed the crap out it because, well, we hadn't bombed the crap out of it lately and it had an excess of crap. I think the word you want is inhospitable. Not to be snarky or anything. Carry on.
• Though the MSM isn't making a huge deal of it, Iraqi democratic elections are today. Oh for goodness sake. CNN was covering it live from the moment the pools opened. Spare us the liberal media elite talking points.
• Actually, I think f8x was making some comment on lack of coverage. This is a big deal for right-wingers, it validates their current justification for going to war. You know, bringing democracy and all that. It seems they've forgotten that bringing Democracy was somewhere around #200 on the list when Saddam "had weapons of mass distruction". So something good has come out of something bad. Great. Glad to hear it. No, really. Now we can just hope that Republicans find some ethics down there in the gutter and actually charge our Misleader in Chief with lying to start a war, among other things. It is still a crime isn't it? On the other hand, I'm not going to hold my breath. And in 20 years or so, we'll have to do it all over again because the guy they elect won't behave, just like Saddam when we installed him in the first place. It's a bitch, ain't it, when people fail to show the proper amount of gratitude and/or kowtowing?
• It seems they've forgotten that bringing Democracy was somewhere around #200 on the list when Saddam "had weapons of mass distruction". Oh really? From a March 2003 speech: "Action to remove the threat from Iraq would also allow the Iraqi people to build a better future for their society. And Iraq's liberation would be the beginning, not the end, of our commitment to its people. We will supply humanitarian relief, bring economic sanctions to a swift close, and work for the long-term recovery of Iraq's economy. We'll make sure that Iraq's natural resources are used for the benefit of their owners, the Iraqi people. Iraq has the potential to be a great nation. Iraq's people are skilled and educated. We'll push as quickly as possible for an Iraqi interim authority to draw upon the talents of Iraq's people to rebuild their nation. We're committed to the goal of a unified Iraq, with democratic institutions of which members of all ethnic and religious groups are treated with dignity and respect. To achieve this vision, we will work closely with the international community, including the United Nations and our coalition partners. If military force is required, we'll quickly seek new Security Council resolutions to encourage broad participation in the process of helping the Iraqi people to build a free Iraq." From a February 2003 speech: "The United States has no intention of determining the precise form of Iraq's new government. That choice belongs to the Iraqi people. Yet, we will ensure that one brutal dictator is not replaced by another. All Iraqis must have a voice in the new government, and all citizens must have their rights protected. "(Applause.) Not to mention this April 2003 speech in which Bush discusses democracy in Iraq as the ultimate goal. That's just from three of the President's speches. I can link to dozens of us right wing bloggers who promoted a similar agenda before and during the war operations in Iraq. Your simplified explanation of our "current justifications" doesn't hold water, drivinmenuts. Methinks you've forgotten that building a democracy was always part of the original justification for going in.
• Really? Must've missed that one amidst all the claims of imminent destruction at the hands of Saddam Hussein from his WMDs. From where I sit, when their primary justifications fell through, they scrambled around, hemmed and hawed and came up with whatever they could. I don't give a rapidly rotating rat's rectum what the bloggers were promoting. Bloggers can promote turning the moon into one giant Time Cube for all I care, because they are not the elected officials. Sure, you can argue that the intelligence was bad. Fine - but don't forget that someone's head needs to roll for this and roll hard. Harry Truman had a saying "the buck stops here". It meant that whatever happened on his watch, he was ultimately responsible for, good, bad or indifferent. More and more often, this Administration tries to declaim responsibility by isolating themselves from bad judgement. "It was the act of rogue individuals, etc." Sorry, that doesn't wash with me. If we, as a nation, are to claim some form of moral superiority, then we by God need to actually act morally superior. Starting a war, and then playing off the major justification doesn't wash. "Saddam could have been a threat" is a long, long way from "Saddam is a threat". So now you have your Democracy in Iraq. At least one good thing came out of this whole mess. Hope it keeps you warm at night in 10, 20 years when we have to do this all over again, just like this time. Remember, we installed him - he didn't come to power on his own. We set up the dictatorship, and he didn't want to play by our rules anymore.
• Really? Must've missed that one amidst all the claims of imminent destruction at the hands of Saddam Hussein from his WMDs. From where I sit, when their primary justifications fell through, they scrambled around, hemmed and hawed and came up with whatever they could. Okay, Dr. Goofy. I guess your mind's made up about it. I merely mentioned bloggers since it wasn't just the Administration that touted democracy as a reason for regime change in Iraq. Lots of people beside Bush saw democratization as one good reason to go in.
• Come on, f8x. The Bush administration very clearly based its primary justification for this war on the threat of weapons of mass destruction. That's why they went through the motions with the inspectors in the lead-up to the war. I can't see how this is up for debate. The administration did champion democratization as a reason for the war, but it was at best a secondary motive and I would say more probably a tertiary justification, whose importance grew as its other reasons began to collapse. Anyway, it seems to me to be a lousy reason for an Iraq war, if that's all there is to the argument. There are, at this moment, worse places than a Saddam-led Iraq.* What makes Iraq so special? Why should Iraq be first in the line for liberation? If liberation is the reason -- and it seems to me that this is very nearly all there is as a defensible position -- then why Iraq? For my part, I'm encouraged by the news from Iraq. Or at least I am this week. I remain skeptical of its long-term stability, but I have more hope this week than last. If Iraq can sustain its democracy, then Bush and company have accomplished something, even if it was mostly by accident. *I would have said Afghanistan was one such state under the Taliban, which is a large part of why I approved of the war there.
• From the link: In front of one of the voting centers, we met citizens to get their opinions about elections. Hey, it's great to hear some good news from Iraq and all, but isn't it possible that cynical Iraqis who think the whole process is a scam might have, you know, skipped the whole voting thing?
• As far as Afghanistan, I had no problem with the war there. We went in after OBL and haven't gotten him yet, but I've never questioned the need for that particular war, although our ends-justify-the-means approach is very disturbing, to say the least. Without that war, OBL would have continued to mount attacks from a safe haven. It is unclear as to whether or not the Taliban sanctioned his attack on the US, but on the balance, it appears they did. The Iraq war, on the other hand, did not need to be fought. Saddam was not a real danger to us or anyone else in that region anymore. Now, there's a very real danger there, and Bush created it.
• Free elections in Iraq! Gee, I can't wait until we can have those here in the US.
• Gee, I can't wait until we can have those here in the US. We don't have many oil fields left, sadly. I guess we'll have to do with phoning in our votes to American Idol.
• Elections Are Not Democracy by Fareed Zakaria
• F8X, et al.- The reason why weapons of mass destruction were, and are, inaccurately cited as the primary motivation for invasion is twofold: first, the very deliberate actions of the administration to overstate the claims of weapons. The weapons of mass destruction were the fig leaf presented at the UN as to why this was not a breach of the UN charter (it was, and we deserve sanctions, even though it is impossible for us to recieve them due to the the SecCon veto). Second, that weapons of mass destruction were the primary reason for why we had to attack AT THAT VERY MINUTE. We could not give weapons inspectors more time, because Iraq was a threat to our security, remember? Trying to retroactively dress this up is insulting. Please have a higher regard for us, F8x. The bullshit about "Well, I suppose you have your mind made up..." Yeah. I guess that Colin Powell presentation to the UN kinda made me think that weapons were, you know, like, important.
• Chalabi again?!
• js, please don't mistake my defense of the argument in favour of democracy in Iraq is a denial that WMD were the primary reason for going in. I am simply asserting that the monkeys here who deny democratic hopes for Iraq was an important factor are being forgetful.
• F8- Sorry. I just feel like I often used to when I worked for Kinko's. Corporate would come up with some dumb idea, plan it poorly, rush it out, it would largely fail, and then they'd claim it had accomplished what they wanted anyways by shifting the goalposts, thus keeping their jobs and blaming us for any obstacles along the way. If only they could take our (historic) strong defense of rights, along with France's regard for the general will, and forge a new, enlightened democracy. Instead, I'm betting that it will work more like Ghana's, or Nicaragua's... Both of which are great on paper, and kind of shitty in practice.
• f8xmulder: sorry - got a little shrill the other day. My main concern is not for Iraq or any of the other countries out there. What I worry about is erosion of what I perceive to be some of our core beliefs here in the US by degrees. We are becoming an evil nation, not because we say 'Yes', but because we don't say 'No'. I absolutely believe this particular war is a mistake, pure and simple. The reasons that were heavily emphasized turned out to be false. The operation of the war is being badly handled by Washington. So do we just turn away like it never happened? Simply put, when people make mistakes, even well-intentioned ones, there should be consequences. The greater the mistake, the greater the consequence, regardless of intent or position. By Presidential fiat, it is now considered legal to torture non-citizens and provide other punishments without even the benefit of a fair trial. What the hell have we become when torture of anyone is not completely and totally abhorrent? In the end, when I look at the changes made to this country by the War on Terror, I have to question whether or not those changes are something I would want to be done in my name. And the answer is always 'No'.
• Talib Khadim, the union official I mentioned as being kidnapped in my post above has been released, thank goodness. Interesting article in the Financial Times about the Iraqi Communist Party.
• I wonder if the only reason why there was little violence on election day is because the insurgents wanted to see who won and assassinate them later. There was so little violence because the country was in lockdown on election day.
• And the assholes tried to rig it.
• I'd read that Wolof. If true it does rather undercut the notion that the spread of democracy was anything other than a convenient figleaf for the ruthless pursuit of what some perceive as the US's national interest. And darkly, depressingly amusing that the apparent winner turns out to be Iran, actual member of the 'Axis of Evil'. Nice work spooks!
• The CIA: winning hearts and minds where'er they go. /sarcasm