The Disaster Of Iraqi Democracy
By Irwin N. Graulich (02/11/04)
Transfer power, withdraw American troops and allow democracy to take effect. The Bush administration is under increased pressure from Iraqi leadership and citizenry to authorize direct elections.
Do the people of Iraq have a right to choose any government they wish? The answer should be a big, resounding Texas "No y'all!" All of a sudden the Iraqi people believe that they are on an American college campus where they are intoxicated with "rights."
The fact of the matter is that their country, only a year ago, was one of the most evil nations on the planet. Their government viciously attacked, raped and pillaged neighboring countries, while innocent Iraqi family members were forced to reveal personal dinner conversations which led to arrests and murders.
Rather than worshipping and thanking the victorious military that freed the masses, the Iraqi population has selfishly protested against their American and coalition saviors. Naturally, America is being blamed for the horrific past, not the Iraqis themselves. In a similar vein, Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh and other despicable murderers have blamed America, instead of taking personal responsibility for their deeds. It is quite difficult to look into the mirror and say, "The evil is primarily my own fault."
Talk about selfishness. This is the result of an Arab mentality, whereby societal ingratitude is the consequence of a totally misguided macho trait. Their military machine was shown to be comparable to a poorly malfunctioning wind-up toy by American armed forces that proved totally overwhelming and victorious in every single situation. Although they were embarrassed in war, the Iraqis are now able to stand up to the powerful American and coalition military by protesting their authority.
These actions prove that the Iraqi people are as immature politically as most American high school and college students. The only major difference is that Iraqis have car bombs instead of loudspeakers. Street protests are their only way of expressing power by childishly standing up to American soldiers with tanks.
College students worship (sic) their immature (Imam-like) professors, who have truly never grown up from their kindergarten of academia. Since the majority of these leftist professors have never ventured out into the real world, their world views are learned exclusively from books and theories.
Adnan Pachachi, chairman of the Iraqi Governing Council, has arrogantly proposed a compromise with the American idea of slow, methodical, evolutionary change. Their "too much, too quick, too soon" proposal of direct elections is just another hijacking plan by Iraq's leading Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Talk about the inmates running the asylum.
The first step after a war is winning the hearts and minds of the population. According to West Point strategies, this means scaring the hell out of them if they refuse to accept candy bar friendships and cooperate like the Europeans after WWII. Instead, Iraqis are permitted to protest in the same manner as the elite campus anti-war movement in the United States. They are no longer afraid to voice opinions which they withheld even in the most private places for over a generation. By allowing the dam of freedom to open so quickly, America has been instrumental in contributing to the bursting of this structure. Too much freedom, too suddenly and disaster follows.
Iraqis must understand in no uncertain terms that there are consequences to their behavior, like the equivalent of a good Texas whuppin'. When a war is won decisively by a democracy, the victor has an obligation even more important than reconstruction. There is a moral responsibility to change the way of life and government apparatus of the defeated into what the victor deems best.
Emphatically forcing a specific democratic system slowly and methodically onto a conquered people will make them "appreciate democracy" and fear future wars. Respecting democratically elected authority is absolutely necessary, coupled with a little bit of fear. By helping past dictatorships build democracies step by step, the newly freed people will realize they now have a great deal to lose. In addition, the world gains more democracies, which never seem to make war on other democracies.
The Iraqi people and the rest of the Arab/Muslim world must be taught the valuable lesson that freedom does not mean "a right" to do whatever one wishes. It means rules, guidelines and worshipping Judeo-Christian standards/values, while maintaining their Islamic ethical monotheistic principles. Democracy does not mean freedom of choice. It means freedom to choose within very specific parameters.
PC sensitivities have not allowed President Bush to call the Iraqi people politically immature babies. However, they have to crawl even before they can walk. We simply cannot throw the Iraqi "babies" into the swimming pool. They must first learn to swim or they will drown in democracy.
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