Really good editorial cartoon on the subject: Brazilian cartoonist Angeli
Also Ryan… I think someone was talking about the fake downing of the Saddam statue…
I really hope this election means something for the safety and security of the people of Iraq. I am greatly impressed by the bravery of those who risked their life to vote. I’m happy with their intent to bring a peacful and positive change.
I really want this to work. Really really.
No sarcasim at all. I only wish good things for these poor people who have been in a living hell for the last few decades, whether under a brutal dicatorship, being bombed by friends and foes, or caught in the cross fire between the two sides.
That being said, after all the great moments flashed before us as a sign this is a step away from being over has become wearing. I don’t see this as a massive turning point. I’d like to but there is just so much crap going on still, and so much left undone.
I’m sure there are those who think that this show of the peoples determination for stability means the insurgancy will somehow evaporate.
They believe that the only reason there is an insurgancy is that there is a bunch of people “who hate freedom” and “fear deomocracy”. That is niave.
Once again we ignore the real fuels to the fire.
The West is so fixiated on quick fix solutions, magic bullet cures and inspirational sound bytes that we blow things out of proportion. We either become blindly optimistic or bleakly pessimistic because things aren’t happening fast enough.
During the rebuilding of Iraq we have to stop crowing and cat calling each blip along the way. Each is not a sign of the end of the war or of the end of the world.
I am disgusted that this war took place. I’m shocked that once it was revealed the Administration misrepresented the truth the President wasn’t investigated for impeachment (I mean if it isn’t silly to do that over whether or not oral sex happened in the White house why shouldn’t it be done when a Nation’s resources and youth are endangered over false information) He made the call, staked his reputation and career on the fact that this war was to protect the US. He should have paid. You don’t hand the chips to the guy who bluffed and was called on it.
I’m also sick of the finger pointing without an offer of a viable solution. Stop looking for your quick out and stop trying to use others suffering as a selling point to how right you are and the other guy is wrong. Using the war to somehow show the world that your specific worldview is the greatest is childish.
I think We (All Nations interested in peace and freedom) owe it to the people of Iraq to come up with viable solutions. We should treat the country as a disaster area and go in there.
The election is a start but without any real plans aside for a quick transfer of power to save face during a retreat it is also an end unto itself.
(sorry maybe this shouldn’t have been a rant, but it just came out)
Since most of this thread is sidetrack ---- I’ll offer this in response to the topic title –“The Iraqi Vote Has Begun.”
This is one Iraqi voice from Iraq – describing his voting experience. Least anyone find this offensive or suggest that this is really something other than what is expressly offered – I’ll offer this Straightdope disclaimer: As far as I can tell, this is not a post about Bush, the ‘three Rs’ of Rove / Rice / Rumsfeld, the voting experiences of Iraqis generally, whether the linked blog and/or the quoted blogger are actually secret CIA operatives, kool-aid, gloating, WMD, or the “faked election.”
Far as I can decipher – the guy is telling us about his actual voting experience. An experience worth sharing IMHO -
Not a bit of it, altogether calm and somewhat mournful, which befits the circumstances. Quite reasonable.
You’re not from around here, are you, boy?
For all my personal disdain for Bush and all that he stands for, this is a good sign. A step in the right direction. We don’t know if any more steps will be taken or if they will be in the right direction. But for now, I salute the many that refused to be intimidated and went out and voted. They were brave people indeed.
That being said, this is a small first step only. Now they’ll have an elected group set to draft a new constitution. No small step indeed. Then electing the actual parliament will be another huge step. Then the real test will be if the elected majority will respect the rights of the minority, and will the minority recognize the legitimacy of the government? That is a very difficult question to answer.
Canadian. One who was glad we weren’t involved in the war but now wants us to go in and fix this damned mess on humanitarian grounds.
It is a crime to let innocent civilians die so we can smugly look at the US and say, “told ya!”
On the other hand, it is hard to go in when the Administration uses any offer of help as some sort of ringing endorsement for the action.
**…I walked forward to my station, cast my vote and then headed to the box, where I wanted to stand as long as I could, then I moved to mark my finger with ink, I dipped it deep as if I was poking the eyes of all the world’s tyrants.
I put the paper in the box and with it, there were tears that I couldn’t hold; I was trembling with joy and I felt like I wanted to hug the box but the supervisor smiled at me and said “brother, would you please move ahead, the people are waiting for their turn”… **
That, my friends, is the heart of it. Right there.
And so is this;
Which is all very well. But Bush is going to exploit this as if it retroactively vindicates his every mistep, very blunder, every shading of the truth. He already is. You want to let him get away with that, that’s your business.
But not this little black duck.
Seriously, Squink, you need to take your *Daily Kos * with few grains of salt. What does it show, that US can still lose? You really didn’t know that?
US lost in Viet Nam. Almost lost in Korea. So what?
US shouldn’t have removed Saddam, because we can lose?
Sorry, Bush shouldn’t have removed Saddam under false pretenses, because we can lose?
So, we can risk defeat only for the absolutely pure and noble cause?
But wasn’t fighting Communism a noble cause? After all, nowadays everyone is so proud of winning the Cold War!
So what the hell is Daily Kos talking about?
… well so far Bush has avoided “gloating”…
Still its impressive how people might construe voting as a justification for the invasion… but fine.
Let me help you with this.
Before invasion => No free election
After invasion => Yes free election.
Call it a coincidence.
Let me help you with this.
Before 9/11 => No re-election
After 9/11 => Yes re-election.
Call it a coincidence.
You walk a fine line between vindictive and spiteful. Do you use a safety net?
My personal defects are legion. I generally don’t bring them up, because they’re not relevent to the matter at issue. Please rest assured, if I feel the need for your assessment and counsel, I will not hesitate to ask.
I rather doubt that. :dubious:
I didn’t think this war was a good idea and I thought the way it was handled was terrible. I definitely voted against Bush…
But how can you not be happy for these people? This is a very good step in the right direction. Would you prefer them to just sit down and shutup or what? We’re there no matter what, we might as well try our best to leave it a better country than we found it.
I found the picture of the woman giving the victory sign with ink on her finger very moving, thanks whoever found that.
I don’t think it’s fake. There was picture on the news of an Iraqi woman who’d gotten the chance to vote. She was holding her black-inked finger and had this huge grin on her face. ‘Hey, look at me, I got to vote!’
That’s got to be the coolest thing ever.
In 5, 10 , 20 years, if Iraq is a flourishing Democracy that has served as a model for the Middel East I feel I would admit that the Bsh administration made mistakes, but ultimately the outcome made the world a better place.
But that point is not here yet and I think it is not nearly obvious that it will ever happen and as it stands is but a single election of a myriad of disparate factions that has yet to prove that it can govern the country itself peacefully. There are still hundreds of thouands US troops in Iraq and people are dying every day. It is a wonderful first step, but the journey is still very long and unsure and at this point Bush’d actions have not yet been justified by this vote.
It is a great pic— but it means so much more considering the threats leading up to the election –real threats using just that symbol —
http://www.techcentralstation.com/013105I.html
Yet, we still have these Iraqi voters who defiantly display both that purple ink and their faces to the cameras. Granted, this defiance may eventually cost them but the bravery is undeniable. That some here can’t get off their high horse and respect that - amazes me.
Yeah, I’m sure it’s really cool to vote in a predetermined election. :rolleyes:
It’ll be legitimate when all Iraqis can vote and not just the ones who will vote the right way.