Thursday, January 27, 2005

First Reflection: Iraqi Elections

First Blog - Iraqi elections
This is my first time writing a blog. I hope that whoever comes across it in the near future finds it useful.

The first thing I saw on TV this morning was President Bush commenting on the high turn-out of the Iraqi people for their first election.

I had read in an article in the LA Times ( Jan. 2004) that the British, when they controlled Iraq as a mandate (c. 1924), had also sponsored elections, but they rigged the results in such a way so that the representation of the Christian minority would be proportionally equal to the representation of the Muslim and Kurdish majorities.

Therefore, in a way this is not Iraq's first election per se, but it does represent this country's first full, free election in which everyone can participate without fear of foreign intervention.

I am happy that the Iraqi people have courageously turned out to vote for a government that will represent their interests instead of the narrow interests of the Baathist tyranny under the rule of Saddam Hussein. I believe this is the first of many steps which will bring democracy to a world hardened by Islamic fundamentalism.

1 comment:

  1. I have since changed my opinion on removing Arab strongmen from power.

    The United States can no longer afford to police the world and promote the peace of the nations.

    We need less government, less military spending, and less infringement of the United States Constitution.

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