Honestly, can the US " create democracy " in Iraq?
149728
No. This whole "democratic" Iraq issue is an exercise in futility. You are absolutely correct about how true democracy must be homegrown and spring up from within a nation and the hearts of its people. It cannot be imposed upon them from outside. They will resist, at all costs, they will resist.\n\nYou would have thought we'd have learned our lessons in Vietnam. Ho Chi Min originally wanted to make Vietnam a western-style democracy, basing its constitution on our own. He spent several years in the late 1950s in Paris trying to get western governments (including the US) to support him in this quest. He was rebuffed and ignored.\n\nAll he (and most Vietnamese) wanted was to throw off the chains of colonial rule (French, at the time) and be a free and independent nation. When the West balked, he turned to the East and ultimately embraced communism, alas. The Viet Cong sent the French packing and you-know-who stepped into the breach. You also know the rest of that sad story... \n\nWell, the circumstances are somewhat different (no threat of communism in Iraq, but plenty of even worse threats) but the end result will be the same. We will ultimately bring our soldiers home (and God knows they deserve to come home from that living hell) and Iraq, like Vietnam before it, will be left in utter chaos. \n\nHad we supported the uprisings against Saddam Hussein, which occurred naturally, even spontaneously, after the first Gulf War, NONE of this would be happening now. That swine would have been deposed and a representative government would have taken power (the Iraqis, particularly the Kurds, are an intelligent and capable people). It may not have been exactly what the US wanted, and oil contracts might not have been quite as sweet for Exxon-Mobil and the rest, but this insane nightmare of an endless bloodbath would not be continuing as it is now.\n\nI'll stop now. Except to say that I really do hate bush and his arrogant advisers for dragging us into this no-win situation. \n\n*sigh*\n\nNo wonder everyone hates us so much....
1128394
Crikey,\n\nHave you guys ever heard of international law?\n\nGiven that the US was instrumental in the birth of the League of Nations, the current administration has done less for worldwide stability than Adolf Hitler.\n\nWhilst we defend our right to democracy, it is not our right to force democracy on countries that do not want it.  Attacking countries that harbour terrorists, only makes the problems worse.  Yes Iraq has democracy, but at what price...?\n\nIt's funny that a couple of years ago the US was the main source of support for republican terrorists in Ireland.  Why are Iran and Syria any different.
1075795
I served during the push toward Baghdad and I am very happy with how it is going. How many chances do you get to participate in creating a democracy? One which, even with the violence, has higher voter turn-out than we have here?
840022
NO.  That would be democracy.  Democracy is not a good thing.  If you were able to find a way to keep everyone honest, that is one man, one vote...you would end up with anarchy.\n\nOn Monday we could vote to go to war in Iraq.  On Tuesday, we could vote to pull out of Iraq.  On Wednesday, we could vote to drill in Anwar, Alaska.  On Thursday, we could vote to ban all oil drilling in the US.
321587
I think it was totally right to go to war, mis-informed people argue otherwise. Do I think Iraq will be able to convert smoothly to a "democracy" state? No, it's not what their used to, they are used to a dictatorship of evil rule. If they like to be free, they will be, if they don't and prefer to live under a dictatorship then they will fight to do so. Promoting stability in Iraq is up to the people, not the war effort.
1033881
When the job is complete.\n\nSo far we have created a constitutional democracy that the Iraqi people selected in a national referendum.\n\nWe have had two successful (UN certified) elections.\n\nThe Iraqi army is gaining experience - and every week is taking over sectors that were formerly managed by US troops.\n\nThe Iraqi economy is booming.\n\nWe are making progress - but fixing Iraq is not something that can be done overnight.
758451
True democracy is a grand concept, but unworkable in reality. The will of all cannot be appeased because you will never have complete agreement. Therefore we use representative democracy which accounts for the shortcomings of true democracy by catering to the will of the majority. No one is forcing anyone to believe a particular way. We may be manipulated by rhetoric, but you cannot be manipulated if you learn the facts. If you do not learn the facts then by extension you must be happy with the system. Either way people in free societies are not being suppressed, but they are in other forms of government in the world.  As to Iraq we do not have to force the country to accept democracy. What we have to do is give them the opportunity to decide for themselves. In the end democracy may not take there, but the people deserve at least the chance at governing themselves. Lastly, it is apparent you are not a fan of democracy so please propose alternatives. Democracy may not be perfect, but from my vantage point it beats all alternatives hands down.
116294
Absolutely, Peace and Democracy will happen in Iraq. I have a source you can look at to see the progress and great things that happen in Iraq that the mainstream media doesn’t tell you about.
627924
Thank you!  we should be happy if the Iraqi's build their government, so they can do things their way. Yes, they needed help. They didn't know how to build democracy, but America has backed off as much as they could. I want to visit Iraq someday and spend my money there as a tourist. If they form this government right, Iraq can get rich just from the tourism. Iraq is beautiful, they deserve to be able to show off the beauty and make money at the same time. I can't wait for the day to buy in their markets. Sit down in a cafe and drink coffee. Visit their Museums, swim in their waters, buy me some Delicious Iraqi food. I'm so excited that someday it will be safe. I love Jordan. and Dubai. Iraq will be like that and all the world will be spending their money there. I want to find out what kind of fish they have that I could fish for.
835416
Well, I can tell you from my experiance that I thought we where making a difference. But I can also tell you I have friends I served with that think we are not. So the answers here will deffinately be as varied as the political parties we have in our country. Democracy is something that Iraq has never had. EVER! So there has been alot of problems. Theres Bath party members (That party was banned) Causing trouble. Religious differences, causing trouble. And a large and I mean very large segment of the population that do want to be free, go to work and just raise there families. The Kurds in the northern part of the country have had zero problem with all this and are doing very well. Whats the long term prognosis? I Don't know, I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell you and everyone for that matter. I believe in what we tried to do, and certainly feel it was the best for them, us, and everybody else in the world. I was in neighborhoods where everyone shook your hand and smiled, and they where all friendly. Two blocks away someone set up an IED, and people watched them do it, and nobody said a word to us. Theres alot of faces in Iraq, too many to be honest. But we are trying, and probably only time will tell. I'm being optimistic, but there will be others that are not.\n\nYour right Katie, they certainly do, it always made my day brighter.
556985
Not anytime soon.  People in the west need to understand that Iraq and much of the ME region has been heavily factionalized and controlled by local political groups with divergent agendas for thousands of years.  As such, a move to democracy will require a protracted period of time to change the thinking of the general populace.\n\nThe older generations are not likely to welcome any change.  It will take time for them to die off while signifiant continuous effort will be needed to pursuade the younger generations that there is a different way.\n\nLook how long it has taken in the US for anything approaching racial equality and harmony to evolve.  The slaves were freed in the 1860s, yet were not guaranteed suffrage until 100 years later.  Although progress has been made, we still have a LONG way to go.\n\nA meaningful long-term change in Iraq will take a US & UN presence of 50 - 100 years in order to stabilize the political system.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is simply blind to the realities of human nature at best, and an abject fool at worst.
541874
iraq has a chance if they let their government run the country without interference fron the religious zealots...by the way..we are not trying to impose democracy on them, we are trying to bring freedom from a tyrant to them..if you think about it..we would have allready been out of there if it wasnt for the fascist terrorists the liberals love making excuses for and trying to appease\niraq has a better educated class of people than most middle east countries and intelligence is a prerequisite for wanting to be free...its only when the religious leaders and civilian leaders and family leaders work in concert to keep their citizens oppressed and out of the loop of information that a society stays behind the world that is succeeding...\nif iraq wqants to come into the 21st century and use information the right way instead of stifling it, then it will eventually become successful
288689
Iraq is like Yuoslavia.  Yuoslavia was an artificial country forced together by a strong dictator.  When the dictator was removed, the country fell apart. Iraq is one of the last remnants of the British-French colonial era.  It was cobbled together by the British as part of an effort to maintain a land route to India.  Iraq is not a homogenous group of people with a common heritage or religion. It consists of Kurds, Sunnis, and Shites.  The best thing for Iraq would be to split it up along the lines of these three groups, just as Yugoslavia disintegrated into several smaller entities.  Short of that, the only way to keep Iraq together as a cohesive unit will be for another strong dictator to appear and bring these diverse groups together by force. The concept of democracy as backed by the United States will never work in Iraq. After the Americans leave the country will either break apart in bloody war or be held together by a ruthless strongman.  Democracy is not and has never been a viable option.
936284
Yes, it is that simple theoretically, but on the ground in Iraq nothing is simple, which is why we're in this situation in the 1st place.\n\nPractically, either option could be made to work to at least some degree, but symbolically, pulling out the troops at this point in the war would make our military seem as weak as it is, and even invite problem countries like Iran and North Korea to keep building up their nuclear programs.\n\nPersonally, I think that the result of this war should be determined by the U.N., yes I said it, the U.N.\n\nIt is basically the world's largest governing body and could send many more troops into Iraq without the moral and/or fiscal dilemmas our country has with doing that.\n\nFurthermore, if the U.N. entered the war at this point, no one would say that they were "forcing Democracy down the Iraqis' throats, because the U.N. is viewed more as a peacekeeping body than an angry snake being stepped on (the U.S. after 9/11), so their taking over in Iraq would be allowed by all countries.
1067416
i dont really think that we are forcing our way of government on iraq per se, its more like we're giving them the opportunity to decide for themselves...as dictator, sadam didnt allow choice, there was no opposition allowed, things we take for granted here in the us.  look, we took sadam out which does benefit the world, no matter what the liberal media may tell you.  so what next? just leave and not help them rebuild and reconstruct?  that would just lead to perpetual anarchy and make problems even worse...these so called insurgents as the media calls them are nothing but suicide bombing, homicidal, maniacal terrorists...we must help the people of iraq build themselves to a level so that they can sustain a decent way of life on their own, no matter what form of government they may choose, and without the constant threat of terrorist "insurgents" who want nothing more than to oppress and murder anyone who may disagree with them.  after 911, i knew that we were in it for the long haul, and i think that that is what a lot of people may not understand...people want to see results fast, convienience is king in the westernized world...but this is a serious issue that has been going on for decades, and is an issue that will take decades to fix.  zarqarwi (sp?) was iraq's leading terrorist and we took him out...that is progress...and what does the liberal media do? they actually have the gall to question whether his death was necessary...it just tells me that no matter what is right, its all about what will get you power in american politics....ahhh it pisses me off that people cant see through the intricate fabric of bullshit that the left has clouded this country with...anyhoo....its not about the present..its about the future...you may not understand now, but hopefully you'll realize later.
453603
I think it's admirable to bring democracy to Iraq, but I feel like the top priority should be the problems we face here in America.
262405
Indeed, I wonder how long he'd last on the streets of Baghdad! I think one would have to be extremely politically correct to worry whether or not Saddam's getting a fair trial... Sad though it is - and a noble experiment - Bush's plan to bring democracy to Iraq has predictably turned to crap; give them democracy and they'll elect an autocratic cleric or madman. The Middle East typically produces characters like Saddam, essentially because that's what it wants. You can't educate people who are stuck in the Dark Ages.