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2004-12-10 Home Front: WoT

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Posted by tipper 2004-12-10 9:59:15 AM|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 What amazing times we live in! I remember the sea-change that was the replacement of Ferdinand Marcos by people power, with US support, in 1986. Then the end of the Soviet Empire three years later. And now the replacement of fascist and theocratic regimes in Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and perhaps in Palestine and Iran as well.

Imagine: our children may come to know a world in which democracy, messy and imperfect as it is, prevails from Cuba clear across to North Korea.

Posted by lex 2004-12-10 3:42:16 PM|| 2004-12-10 3:42:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Absolutely so, lex!

I hope this guy is right... my gut tells me people are not naturally automatons and, given, the opportunity - especially if it can be done anonymously, i.e. by secret ballot - will naturally choose the path that offers them choice and freedom. Having been immersed in an Arab society for a stretch of years, my confidence is shaken (but not stirred, heh), but Afghanistan seems to bode well - even for Arabs. The fly in the Iraqi ointment is that, for reasons that sure as hell elude me, they chose that idiotic "slate of candidates" bullshit as opposed to bona-fide representative government... Sigh.

Posted by .com 2004-12-10 4:01:32 PM|| 2004-12-10 4:01:32 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 The WaPo had a great picture yesterday of the "tent city" the protesters created in the heart of Kiev. Acres of blue and gray camping tents...complete with a bright orange Christmas tree.

Posted by Seafarious 2004-12-10 4:06:12 PM|| 2004-12-10 4:06:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 "Maidan" is "check, please!" in Mandarin Chinese :).

Posted by gromky 2004-12-10 7:47:16 PM|| 2004-12-10 7:47:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 .com, I think the Shia were wise to go the "slate of candidates" route for now. They have negotiated Sadr-boy's attempt at splitting the Shia community and Zarqawi's attempts at creating sectarian war. If it takes having a lot of discussions over tea and a unified "slate of candidates" to kick off democracy there, that's a pretty good first step IMO.

Posted by rkb 2004-12-10 7:52:12 PM|| 2004-12-10 7:52:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 rkb - At the top of the list, according to articles posted here recently, Sistani et al have loaded up a mess of Shi'a Clerics at the top of the slate - not the engineers and teachers described in the article. I wonder which article is giving the more accurate description? An interview with some Columbia Prof on Fox yesterday reiterated the packing of the list with Qom-trained clerics... and the discussion was about the relationship the new Iraqi Gov't would likely have with Iran as a result. Disturbing commentary.

I certainly agree - just getting the ball rolling is something... I recognize that Shi'a will dominate - but I hoped for them to be employed as engineers and teachers, not clerics. Sigh. I guess we shall see. :-)

Posted by .com 2004-12-10 8:20:02 PM|| 2004-12-10 8:20:02 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 I ALWAYS prefer engineers - I can never remember all that clerical sh&t

Posted by Frank G 2004-12-10 8:24:10 PM|| 2004-12-10 8:24:10 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Lol! Engineers are the only occupation I can directly relate to, heh. On the other extreme, the hair splitters and nuanced werdsmyths just piss me off.

Posted by .com 2004-12-10 8:31:28 PM|| 2004-12-10 8:31:28 PM|| Front Page Top

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