Spinning the Iraqi Election
Published February 01, 2005
These reactions from the radically anti-American, anti-freedom fringe aren't that surprising. Nothing will ever convince them that anything America does could be good for the world or have a noble objective. The evidence of a history of fighting for freedom and the evidence of recent events in Iraq mean nothing to them. They won't be satisfied until America is destroyed by a plague or a nuclear holocaust or they see an American president on his knees with a bag on his head and a sword at his throat. They're just terrorists in suits, with keyboards or with a univesity chairs.
One surprising development out of the election is that the usually rabidly Anti-American British newspapers The Daily Mirror and The Guardian seem willing to at least give the Iraqis who voted and their new government the benefit of the doubt. They still hate president Bush, but they left off Bush bashing long enough to express support for the Iraqis who are trying to get their country back on track. Really quite a surprise given their history of virulent and often baseless criticism of anything associated with the US. Along the same lines is the relatively balanced coverage on Al Jazeera. They actually limited their anti-American comments to some recaps of the Abu Ghraib scandal and said some actual positive things about the election. They may be feeling some pressure since the government of Qatar has apparently had enough of them and is trying to figure out a way to get rid of their association with the controversial 'news' network.
What may be most shocking is the immediate efforts of prominent members of the Democratic Party here in the US to try to divert attention from the election and minimize the administrations successes before the election was even over. Over the weekend we already have Sen. Edward Kennedy saying:
- "Once Sunday's elections are behind us and the democratic transition is under way, President Bush should immediately announce his intention to negotiate a timetable for a drawdown of American combat forces with the Iraqi government. At least 12,000 American troops, probably more, should leave at once to send a strong signal about our intentions and to ease the pervasive sense of occupation."
Dave Nalle has been a magazine editor, freelance writer, capitol hill staffer, game designer and taught college history for many years. He is an activist for libertarianism within the Republican party. He now designs fonts for a living and lives with his family just outside Austin. You can find his writings on politics and culture at Republic of Dave, on conspiracy theories at IdiotWars and on design and fonts at The Scriptorium.
- Spinning the Iraqi Election
- Published: February 01, 2005
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- Section: Politics
- Writer: Dave Nalle
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Then you're a cynical pessimist who has lost faith in America, BTP. The president isn't in control here - he rarely is - American public opinion is in control. As for Iraq, it sounds very much like Ayatollah Sistani is in control and he's a very sharp, relatively moderate guy. He's neither pro nor anti American, not an enemy of political diversity, and not a complete religious crazy. The best thing is that he doesn't want to personally be in charge - unlike some other Ayatollahs who live next door.
Oh, regarding statues, have you heard that the Mayor of Baghdad wants to put up a statue of President Bush? No further details of his plan have been forthcoming, but it's not something I would have expected.
Dave
Then you're a cynical pessimist who has lost faith in America, BTP.
Dave, that was a complete disconnect from what BTP wrote. Whether he's right or wrong, Z doesn't come after A+B.
Actually, Z does come after A+B, just not immediately after it. I may have perhaps drawn his comments out to their logical conclusions. Sort of like Z being the inevitable end of what starts with A+B.
BTP just doesn't seem to have much confidence in anything in Iraq working out well - or more specifically he assumes that if Bush is involved only evil can be the outcome. I think it's too soon to feel that way and I don't think that Bush or his administration are inherently evil.
Dave
"the reporting of the results was done under pretty severe press conditions (as in the press generally couldn't go to the actual polling places)"
Not the reporters from FOXNEWS. They were at polling places.
Did Dave Nalle vote for Bush? Me thinks so.
"I don't think that Bush or his administration are inherently evil."
I don't know, Dave. If you told Dick Cheney that, he might tell you to fuck off.
RJ: Not the reporters from FOXNEWS. They were at polling places.
As were the ones I was watching on MSNBC and the BBC and second hand I've heard that Al Arabiya AND Al Jazeera also had reporters at polling places. Now, they may have been selected polling places, but at one point Geraldo was inside Baghdad.
Scott:Did Dave Nalle vote for Bush? Me thinks so.
On what basis? Because I don't hate and despise him? I don't hate and despise Kerry either. Does that mean I voted for Kerry?
In fact, I voted for my friend and neighbor Michael Badnarik. But had I been in a swing state I might have voted for Bush.
Scott: I don't know, Dave. If you told Dick Cheney that, he might tell you to fuck off.
Which would be charming, but makes no sense in context.
Dave
"Which would be charming, but makes no sense in context."
It's called a joke Dave. Humor doesn't work on the internet I guess. My bad.
By the way, Dick Cheney just stuck his head in the door and told me to fuck off. I told him it was charming but out of context.
I think that the Bush administration are
pure evil.Dick Cheney in particular is a
real fucking prick in my book. He called
Nelson Mandela a communist for his work
to help end apartheid and voted AGAINST
his(Nelson Mandela's)release from prison
back in the day. What a nice guy!
Mandela is pretty much a communist. He's pretty chummy with Castro...
Mandela has many fine qualities, but even he would admit he's a communist. As for his release from jail, I'm not sure how Cheney who at that time was in the US Congress would have had any ability to vote one way or another to free Mandela from jail, since that would be the domain of the South African government, not the US government.
Dave
Is South Africa a communist country, then? A couple of reporter friends I have there would be most surprised.
In a parliamentary democracy one can have communists within the government and not have a communist government. Is France a communist country? Is Spain, is Italy, is Germany, is England?
Well, they all have communists serving in public office at one level or another.
Dave
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/24978)
Elections are nice... Saddam had them, Cuba has them...
I think it is in general a good thing. The day when ex-CIA employee Allawi leaves office and is replaced by someone elected by Iraqi's will be a bit more of a real proof of Democracy.
Elections only go so far, I recall a year when our elected President had the SECOND most total of votes cast by Americans...
So enjoy the elections, keep in mind that the reporting of the results was done under pretty severe press conditions (as in the press generally couldn't go to the actual polling places). The video of Iraqi's celebrating is nice, but don't forget the widely desseminated video of Saddam's statue being "spontaneously" torn down, which later turns out to have been done under the suggestion of armed American soldiers....
I hope to god that democracy DOES take hold, but am not at all convinced that it is the TRUE wish of the administration. After all, a President who can't face an opposition t-shirt in his personal appearances doesn't imbue me with confidence that he would let an anti-american candidate actual take the leadership of Iraq at some point.