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03/31/2003 Archived Entry: ""

IRAQ...THE DEMOCRACY: (Via Brothers Judd Blog) This week's poll is on whether it's likely that Iraq can be turned into a democracy after Saddam Hussein is deposed. According to Eric Davis, Iraq might actually be as successful as some European nations.

"Americans share two misperceptions of Iraqi politics and society. One is that ethnic conflict is endemic to Iraqi society. Another is that Iraqis lack a tradition of civil society, cultural tolerance, and political participation. Both perceptions are contradicted by the historical record. These faulty premises lay behind Washington's unwillingness to support the Iraqi uprising of 1991, which came close to ousting the Ba'athist regime. It would be a great tragedy if the United States were to make the same mistake in 2003."

If we could turn a nihilistic death worshiping culture like Germany's into a society of freedom lovers (well, the European version of it anyway), we can turn a nihilistic death worshiping culture like Iraq's into the same thing (well, the Arab version of it anyway).