Article

2005-08-12 Iraq-Jordan

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2005-08-12 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Seems like the Shiites have painfully thought this through and would rather take their destiny with autonomy (ie their own cutup portion of Iraq)! Amazing how their shifting loyalties are so fluid. I remember how they sided with the Sunnies when we cleared Falluja; and aided Sadr an his band of militia goons when they gave us that headache last year trying to restore order. I support any breakup of Iraq preferably into thirds (the no fly zone parallel lines sounds good to me also). Interesting to see if the US will allow an independant republic or representatve democracy for the majority!

Posted by smn 2005-08-12 01:55|| 2005-08-12 01:55|| Front Page Top

#2 Democracy implicit assumption is that people compete on ideas so if you convert enough people, you or the guy you favour will climb to power.

It doesn't work when the differnces are innate, like being Kurd or Arab, Black or White. So there are only two ways: either it doesn't matter: people vote for candidates according to their qualities and the candidates don't favour their ethnia. If that cannot be achieved then partition is the best solution. Otherwise what we get is a Rwanda-like situation where the more numerous ethnia automatically wins elections and uses its control of the state to opress and eventually genocide the lesser side.

And frankly I don't believe that Irakis are voting for ideas instead of for ethnias or confessions.

Posted by JFM">JFM 2005-08-12 06:42|| 2005-08-12 06:42|| Front Page Top

#3 Wonder what made them give up the previous plan: take up over all the country and deal with Sunnis in the time honored (for ME) way?

Posted by gromgoru 2005-08-12 11:29|| 2005-08-12 11:29|| Front Page Top

23:58 Captain America
23:52 DMFD
23:51 Zhang Fei
23:41 Red Dog
23:38 Elmasing Cromoting5441
23:37 Mike Sylwester
23:28 Barbara Skolaut
23:22 Long Hair Republican
23:19 DMFD
23:03 Cyber Sarge
22:54 Zhang Fei
22:53 Frank G
22:50 Frank G
22:47 Frank G
22:37 JosephMendiola
22:36 mom
22:32 Robert Crawford
22:30 Robert Crawford
22:27 JosephMendiola
22:27 USMC_Vet
22:18 mom
22:16 JosephMendiola
22:07 OldSpook
22:04 Captain America