[ebuddy]

The elections went well. In spite of many here who do not want democracy to occur in Iraq. In spite of many here who thought it'd be a blood bath to show at polling places. In spite of those who would rather seek inaction as a justified means to an end. In spite of those so bent in ignorance toward one man; Bush. In spite of your xenophobic suppositions that the Iraqi actually appreciated their Saddam-owned Iraq and don't want us there. You continue whining about WMD's and terrorists. The rest of us have gotten over the 2000 election and look to a democratized Middle East. The main crux of Bush's speech was; "to change the face of the Middle East." to implant democracy right smack dab in the middle of the Middle East where all could witness it. The process has begun. You may continue to cower and scoff at one man, Bush; while the rest of the world jumps on the bandwagon of peace, prosperity, and freedom. Bush will be meeting with Sr. members of the EU and I look forward to seeing a complete 180 in attitude. The Iraqi has been underestimated, but not by the current US administration. Whether you hate him or not, he is a man of conviction and ideals that are exacting real change in the Middle East yet many of you would rather sit and watch turmoil at the hands of a dictator.

You were against ousting Saddam Hussein. You were against the vote. You were against a democracy. You were against Bush. You blame the WMD issue on Bush alone and when someone presents you with evidence of other World Leaders who warned the same, and when you were presented with facts on what Albright, Clinton, Kerry, and countless other non-republicans said regarding the threat Saddam posed; you breezed past it, hoping someone would latch on in agreement to your hatred for one man. You were against Republicans, you were against war. You were against freedom while you enjoy it in your gated community. For consistency's sake, you will be against a Constitution. In fact, if the US Administration was involved, you've been against this effort every step of the way. You share common ground with the very terrorists who've attempted unsuccessfully to thwart this effort. You've stood in opposition every single step of the way and have watched in horror as the very concepts you enjoy, but don't feel the Iraqi is worthy of having- come to fruition. Why have you gotten absolutely nowhere with your views? Because you aren't FOR anything. If you are, you certainly haven't espoused it here. Eventually, you will see the only way to thrust your agenda is to have an ideal, to be FOR something. I see criticism all the time and it means absolutely nothing because I see no counter-ideal. No OTHER way of solving ills in the Middle East and in the world. Whenever I ask this, I getting deafening silence from you. I don't even need to mention who you are as you will likely be the first compelled to respond against me. I see you pointing fingers at sacrifice and calling it an occupation for oil. I see no oil contracts and my gas ain't gettin' cheaper, but my country has given no less than 1,400 soldiers lives to the effort and countless billions of dollars. If you can't see what good can come from our efforts in Iraq and the benefit of freedom here for the entire globe, it's only because you simply cannot stand the only people willing to sacrifice for it in this degree. Being opposed to something by virtue of your hatred toward the authors of a solution, does not solve anything.

Don't bother responding unless you happen to have an idea of what you are FOR. What solutions you have for a more peaceful globe. Inaction and nay-saying has been less than productive while those who stand FOR something are changing the world for the better! Antagonism and pessimism are never productive yet some continue to hold on to whatever bitterness they have not for the betterment of anyone else, but only to calm their anti-US need to speak their piece. You've been heard and gauged for your worthlessness in society. In short, no one is listening because they are too busy forwarding progressive, positive policy in response to centuries of unrest and hostility! You, on the other hand have only been a pessimist all the while sitting in your gated community eating McGriddles and cursing at the morning paper.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by olePigeon:
The WMDs was a whole fiasco with failures on both sides. No one to blame but ourselves. What really, really pissed me off is when Bush & Co. purposely mislead people into thinking Iraq was responsible (by part or in full) for September 11th.

I distinctly remember the administration bending over backwards to insist that there was no connection. I can point out several speeches from Bush himself which stated this in plain, clear English (uncharacteristically plain and clear for Bush, in fact).

It is true that many people believed -and still believe, sadly- that Iraq was somehow responsible, and I have always been mystified at just where they got that from, but I can't pin this one on the Bush Administration, as much as I'd like to.

[BoomStick]

This is a major defeat for the oppressors of women and they are obvoiusly angry about it. Sorry guys, the women have spoken and they choose freedom.

It's a defeat for the bloodthirsty naysayers. The good people stood up aginst the insurgent bulies and risked their lives for freedom. Sorry you didn't get your bloodbath.

Hooray for the good free Iraqi people. May they prosper under their own rule and stomp the crap out of the oppressive mullahs.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by ebuddy:
-- Snipped for brevity --

Don't bother responding unless you happen to have an idea of what you are FOR. What solutions you have for a more peaceful globe. Inaction and nay-saying has been less than productive while those who stand FOR something are changing the world for the better! Antagonism and pessimism are never productive yet some continue to hold on to whatever bitterness they have not for the betterment of anyone else, but only to calm their anti-US need to speak their piece. You've been heard and gauged for your worthlessness in society. In short, no one is listening because they are too busy forwarding progressive, positive policy in response to centuries of unrest and hostility! You, on the other hand have only been a pessimist all the while sitting in your gated community eating McGriddles and cursing at the morning paper.

[SimeyTheLimey]

This article in the Washington Post is downright inspiring. Some snippets:

BAGHDAD, Jan. 30 -- The young man wore a winter jacket over his explosive vest and approached the polling station with his hands in the pockets.

"Take your hands out of your pockets," said Ali Jabur, the Iraqi police officer in charge of patting down voters on the street outside. The young man obliged by throwing his arms wide, and blew them both to bits.

Three hours later, in streets still littered with the bomber's remains, some very determined voters streamed into the Badr Kobra High School for Girls, intent on casting the ballots that they called a repudiation of the terrorist attacks meant to scare them away.

"I would have been happy to have died voting at the time of this explosion, because this is terrorism mixed with rudeness," said Saif Aldin Jarah, 61, a balding man with white hair who leaned on his daughter, Shyamaa, as he shuffled into the afternoon sunlight after casting his ballot.

"When terrorism becomes aimless and without a goal, it becomes rudeness," Jarah said, holding aloft a finger stained purple with indelible ink. "How could they force people not to vote?"

* * *

"First, people want to stop this terrorism that's breeding in this country. Second, the religious leadership wanted people to vote. And third, people have had enough of time wasted. They want to get their permanent government."

So the polling place reopened. On the advice of the U.S. troops, the security perimeter was pushed back a block, so people could be frisked twice before entering the school.

* * *

Though performing this duty meant standing amid flecks of the flesh of the last officer who had the job, there were volunteers. In stepping forward to do the first round of pat-downs themselves, local residents explained that they could raise the alert if another suspicious stranger approached. Her companion on the walk to the polls, Taiyma Jamal, 26, said the turnout represented a vote against the insurgency. "People want to be free," she said.

* * *

Nawar Khadim Ahmed had gone home after seeing the man explode as he raised his arms. By 3 p.m., he was back to vote, carrying his 2-year-old daughter, Noor.

"We have to bury this chaos now and form a government," he said. "This is the time that we make a stand."

Let me highlight a quote:

Her companion on the walk to the polls, Taiyma Jamal, 26, said the turnout represented a vote against the insurgency. "People want to be free," she said.

Indeed.

[nath]

for the iraqis who voted in a greater proportion than the UK electorate probably will later this year!


let's hope the sunnis can be brought into any post-provisional government.

[saab95]

Originally posted by Zimphire:

Same here.

[SimpleLife]

Originally posted by Millennium:
I distinctly remember the administration bending over backwards to insist that there was no connection. I can point out several speeches from Bush himself which stated this in plain, clear English (uncharacteristically plain and clear for Bush, in fact).

It is true that many people believed -and still believe, sadly- that Iraq was somehow responsible, and I have always been mystified at just where they got that from, but I can't pin this one on the Bush Administration, as much as I'd like to.

This could explain:

The Impact of Bush Linking 9/11 and Iraq


By Linda Feldmann
Christian Science Monitor
March 14, 2003


In his prime-time press conference last week, which focused almost solely on Iraq, President Bush mentioned Sept. 11 eight times. He referred to Saddam Hussein many more times than that, often in the same breath with Sept. 11. Bush never pinned blame for the attacks directly on the Iraqi president. Still, the overall effect was to reinforce an impression that persists among much of the American public: that the Iraqi dictator did play a direct role in the attacks. A New York Times/CBS poll this week shows that 45 percent of Americans believe Mr. Hussein was "personally involved" in Sept. 11, about the same figure as a month ago.

And there is also this.

Communication is key, whatever gains you are looking for. Emphasis is mine, of course. One might want to other occurences to verify if there is a pattern. I suspect there is one, but cannot prove it. When peolpe are very emotional, they get carried away, and it becomes easy to direct them, as long as it makes sense, even if nothing proves the words represent facts.

Today many people are happy. Democracy is "winning". I still believe the Future is at risk and that this democracy may have to fight battles no one has envisionned yet.

[undotwa]

Originally posted by ebuddy:
In spite of many here who thought it'd be a blood bath to show at polling places

I read in the Paper (Sydney Morning Herald) 44 people died, twenty in Baghdad. Not exactly a blood bath, but blood spilt nonetheless. However I'm starting to think, maybe the Iraqis are getting fed up with the insurgents as they begin to realise it isn't the Americans who are killing their brethren but the insurgents. I guess that can help explain the high turnout.

[Joshua]

Originally posted by undotwa:
However I'm starting to think, maybe the Iraqis are getting fed up with the insurgents as they begin to realise it isn't the Americans who are killing their brethren but the insurgents. I guess that can help explain the high turnout.

It also explains this:

Citizens of Al Mudiryiah were subjected to an attack by several militants today who were trying to punish the residents of this small town for voting in the election last Sunday.

The citizens responded and managed to stop the attack, kill 5 of the attackers, wounded 8 and burned their cars.

3 citizens were injured during the fire exchange. The Shiekh of the tribe to whom the 3 wounded citizens belong demanded more efforts from the government to stop who he described as "Salafis".