"Elections" Are Nothing

Written by Hal Pawluk
Published November 23, 2004

Holding "elections" in Iraq is not going to mean as much as you think.

It will not prove that "democracy" has been brought to Iraq. It will not reconstruct the rubble that so much of Iraq now is, nor bring back 25-30,000 Iraqi civilians and more than 1,100 Americans from the dead. And it's not likely that peace will reign throughout the Middle East because some people will make marks on pieces of paper.

The problem is that "elections" is a cover word like "free."

It too has, as Lamont Cranston said, "the power to cloud men's minds."

Use the word "free" in a phrase like "free trade," "free market" or "information wants to be free" and listeners go into a trance. You can then get away with anything behind that cover - protectionist trade agreements, rapacious monopolistic markets, theft of intellectual property.

"Elections" has similar powers, with those hearing the word thinking it means "democracy" and "freedom" and who knows what else.

But stop and think for a minute.

Mexico has held "elections" for decades yet had one of the more corrupt political systems in the reasonably-developed world. More currently, we find what "elections" can mean today by looking at what happened in the Ukraine:

KIEV — Turnout at many polling stations was implausibly high. Absentee ballots were cast multiple times. Disappearing ink made ballots invalid.

"In the Donetsk region, turnout at every third polling station was more than 100 percent," [opposition challenger Viktor] Yushchenko told a rally in Kiev.

These are a few of the hundreds of violations reported by voters and independent observers at Ukraine's runoff election, which Western and local observers denounced Monday as fraught with fraud and abuse. [Moscow Times 11/23/04] (Story links open in new windows)

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"Elections" Are Nothing
Published: November 23, 2004
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Section: Politics
Writer: Hal Pawluk
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Comments

#1 — November 23, 2004 @ 16:47PM — Marc [URL]

This is OT Hal, but I'm curious.

Do you ever write a post that has a positive spin. Something that you care for? Something you advocate? Something that makes you smile?

Something that is just GOOD and not dark, dank, and critical? If you do it isn't reflected in the 30 posts on this site. Not that I believe you have too, as I say, just curious.

And people call me cynical, geeesh.

#2 — November 23, 2004 @ 16:59PM — Mac Diva [URL]

"Put on a happy face!" I think it would be very wrong to do that considering the incredible suffering the Iraqi people are enduring. A serious subject -- the illusionary nature of the 'elections' -- should be treated seriously.

I vaguely recall Haiti getting a new queen. That, with all its pomp and circumstance, was supposed to be a solution to the country's deep, painful problems. The 'elections' in Iraq will likely be just as illusionary.

#3 — November 23, 2004 @ 20:23PM — Hal Pawluk [URL]

I'm not Dr. Feelgood, Marc, and you missed about a 100 or so items.

Here's a list of Tude posts (opens in new window).

#4 — November 23, 2004 @ 21:49PM — cur3t

hey hal,

i gotta disagree with marc's dark, dank, critical panning of your work.

i think you do a great job - your stuff is always informational, your research is thorough and i especially appreciate your counter balance to the right-wing spinmeisters. keep up the good fight!

#5 — November 23, 2004 @ 23:06PM — flank

well wat do u think bout this?
i think ur all tree hugging pussies.
go move to canada if you think our nation is so corrupt.

#6 — November 23, 2004 @ 23:13PM — Hal Pawluk [URL]

Thanks, Cur3t.

As far as Marc goes, he's pretty much off my radar.

He seems to consistently miss comprehending the content of posts and will get caught up with some peripheral piece of minutiae or tangential thought, kind of like RJ with typos.

I do my best to ignore those kinds of posts, give them little if any attention and even less value.

#7 — November 24, 2004 @ 00:52AM — Marc [URL]

BTW the 30 posts I refered to were all that displayed when accessing the "see all posts" link, I'll get back with you after I check the rest.

Oh if I'm "petty much off my [your] radar," why do you almost without fail respond?

Also curious.

#8 — November 24, 2004 @ 11:25AM — RJ [URL]

Ah, it's fun to see the Left move the goalposts.

First, we heard that elections simply could not happen, and that Bush and his Iraqi puppet were being pollyannas.

Now, the tune they play is that the upcoming democratic elections are moot, because people died to bring them about.

When Iraq becomes a decent, secure, moderate, democratic Arab Muslim state, the Left will decry the situation still, by moving the goalposts to "success" ever more...

#9 — November 24, 2004 @ 12:53PM — Hal Pawluk [URL]

Hell will have frozen over "When Iraq becomes a decent, secure, moderate, democratic Arab Muslim state."

#10 — November 24, 2004 @ 13:02PM — Joe [URL]

Perhaps, but even you will have to admit that things have improved since the last time you visited there.

#11 — November 24, 2004 @ 17:28PM — cur3t

speaking of moving the goal posts...the right didn't espouse "nation building" until AFTER no weapons of mass destruction were found.

if our job is to act as the world's policeman - ridding the planet of evil and creating "decent, secure, moderate states" - then why don't we invade china next? they murder thousands of helpless infants every year for population control.

#12 — November 24, 2004 @ 18:42PM — Hal Pawluk [URL]

Speaking of moving goal posts, RJ, how about the 27 reasons for invading Iraq?

Not to mention the Bush flip-flops on the Department of Homeland Security, the 9/11 Commission and any number of other issues.

As for the "elections never happening," that certainly wasn't me so your post has no relevance to my post whatsoever.

#13 — November 27, 2004 @ 01:07AM — RJ [URL]

"Speaking of moving goal posts, RJ"

I see you do not deny moving the goalposts. Good for you.

#14 — November 27, 2004 @ 01:09AM — RJ [URL]

Hell will have frozen over "When Iraq becomes a decent, secure, moderate, democratic Arab Muslim state."

and when it does, I shall happily provide you with a blankie... ;)

#15 — November 27, 2004 @ 10:42AM — Hal Pawluk [URL]

This is the grownup's table, RJ - you're over there.

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