November 27, 2004

10 OUT OF OVER TWENTY MILLION:

10 reasons elections in Iraq will succeed (Quentin Langley, November 27, 2004, Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Over the next few weeks, Iraqi government troops and their coalition allies - from Britain, Australia, America, and countless other countries -- will be in action to make Iraq safer. In Fallujah, which will continue to see some of the worst fighting, it will be Iraqi and American troops that will be undertaking the most dangerous tasks.

We can guarantee that during this time, while the fighting is at its worst, the faint hearts and pessimists - the French and German governments; the U.N.; the Democrats; CNN and CBS - will tell us that the effort is doomed. They will say that the Iraqi elections will be a flop, turnout will be low, and that Saddam's supporters will likely come back to power. They will also tell us that only American soldiers are getting killed, with no reference to the brave Iraqis fighting to take their country back from the terrorists. Here are the top 10 reasons why they are wrong. ..

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 27, 2004 6:27 AM
Comments

And, right on schedule, the NYT headlines, "BIG Iraqi Parties Urge 6 Month Delay in Elections." Security concerns given as reason. Didn't read the article and only noticed it on my way to the crossword, but I imagine that Sistani's constituency was not among the delayers.

Posted by: ed at November 27, 2004 11:47 AM

Everybody but the Shia.

The Iraqis who are not Shia do not believe in 'Shia democracy' any more than I do.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at November 27, 2004 1:56 PM

Harry:

You don't believe in Christian Democracy, but live fat and happy in one.

Posted by: oj at November 27, 2004 3:16 PM

oj, you forgot 'dumb'.

Posted by: Uncle Bill at November 27, 2004 4:24 PM

We're all secular in government.


A notable difference between American political parties and Iraqi is that membership in an American political party provides no information whatever about what the religious beliefs, if any, of that person are; while it appears that membership (or perhaps at this stage, adherence would be a better word) in an Iraqi political party is almost exactly correlated with one's religious sect.

Given the history, everywhere, of sects when they hold the civil power, the future of Iraqi democracy is bleak indeed.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at November 28, 2004 7:32 PM

Harry:

Sure it does. If you're atheist, non-Orthodox Jewish or mainline Protestant you're a Democrat.

Posted by: oj at November 28, 2004 7:48 PM
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