A Quick Post About Iraq

Posted by MJ

I want to make a brief post about the Iraqi elections- because I really don’t have time to do an extensive one. I know if I don’t, people will say that I’m avoiding the success of the elections and ultimately that of the Bush administration. Not true.

As of today, the elections in Iraq at least appear to indicate that people showed up to vote. It’s been called a huge turnout. Millions voted! Wonderful. The latest number I heard described turnout at about 55%. When 55% of registered voters in America show up at the polls, thousands of articles the world over bombard the public with how apathetic the American voter is. But, when it rains on Election Day in America that deters most from leaving their homes to vote too. In Iraq, at least 50 people were murdered on their way to the polls, and thousands in the last 9 months. So I guess you could say that 55% wasn’t too bad at all.

I hope this brings some peace to our soldiers and the Iraqi people. I only hope for all the killing to quit. I have never argued for anything else. The elections in Iraq, though, do not change my view about this war nor about the elections themselves. My view has always been NOT that elections aren’t necessary, but that they were rushed, thoughtless and not democratic. Because of the rush and emphasis placed on elections, thousands of innocent people were killed, all because Bush cannot distinguish between freedom, democracy and the means to achieve it all.

It’s still to early to call the first real elections in Iraq in over 50 years a “resounding success.” The fact that people showed up at all does make it a success, however. But, it will be the aftermath of the elections that will resoundingly exhibit to what degree of success we can measure this moment. When I say aftermath, I mean the next 5-10 years. Not today or tomorrow.

I talked to a couple of friends today from Iraq. One lives in Baghdad and he said that turnout was high, but there were probably only 100 polling places in all of Baghdad, which gives off a false sense of mass voters. A city the size of Chicago and only 100 polling places. Of course there will be long lines and hysteria.

The other friend is a Kurd and lives in the north of Iraq, near Mosul. He was driving to vote and his truck broke down. So he walked about 7 miles one way and stood in line to vote. When he finally got to vote he was disappointed. He thought that they were voting for a new president. He didn't realize, and no one else around him did either, that they were voting for parties not presidents. He marked an all Kurdish ballot and left.

None of that sounds too fair or free to me.

Though the elections are a milestone and are the only form of hope that America has brought so far, I hope this is only the beginning of a change in direction, not only for Iraq, but for America too.