The idea of allowing the Iraqi citizens to vote today, while noble, is far fetched. The reason is numbers.
In a country that is not used to democracy, has not had the ability to know the candidates and in some cases, may be threatened with their life if they choose to vote, choosing from a list of over 8,000 candidates and 111 parties may be a bit hard. On friday, Iraqis living in 14 countries other than Iraq went to the polls. Many of these people, representing 29% of the registered Iraqi voters, have never heard of any of the people they are being asked to vote for. They don’t know political parties platforms, nor are there candidate records to run on.
While I hope and pray for a peaceful and successful election day, I fear the real struggle will come after as the Iraqi nation will undoubtedly struggle to exist and the United States will inevitable struggle to prove that the Iraqi government is not simply a faux democracy propped up by America. We know there will have to be some of this, but the trick will be the results long after January 30th, 2005.
{ 15 comments }
Jody 01.30.05 at 1:36 am
Good thoughts although I respectfully disagree.
I think they will succeed because the majority of Iraqis want to vote and if you are willing to vote in the face of death then your vote is going to be a meaningful one. I am sure the Iraqis who vote will have given much thought about what their vote means and who for whom they will vote.
The elections will not fail because of voter ignorance. Unfortunately everytime the US has an election, uninformed voters vote. This is not an unusual or unprecedented phenomena. Here in Florida, we have to vote almost every election to repeal an admendment that was voted to approve the last election (high speed trains anyone?).
Now I agree with you that the candidate list is daunting, and this could be a legitimacy issue if the ballots are not correctly formatted (Again, my great state of Florida, need I say anymore?) and that is the key to this election. The legitimacy. If the Iraqis are convinced that the election was legitimate or even legitimate enough then the election will have been a success. Having said all that, I am realistic enough to know that this vote will not automatically solve all this country’s problems or infighting. But it is a new beginning…
Jody 01.30.05 at 2:36 am
Good thoughts although I respectfully disagree.
I think they will succeed because the majority of Iraqis want to vote and if you are willing to vote in the face of death then your vote is going to be a meaningful one. I am sure the Iraqis who vote will have given much thought about what their vote means and who for whom they will vote.
The elections will not fail because of voter ignorance. Unfortunately everytime the US has an election, uninformed voters vote. This is not an unusual or unprecedented phenomena. Here in Florida, we have to vote almost every election to repeal an admendment that was voted to approve the last election (high speed trains anyone?).
Now I agree with you that the candidate list is daunting, and this could be a legitimacy issue if the ballots are not correctly formatted (Again, my great state of Florida, need I say anymore?) and that is the key to this election. The legitimacy. If the Iraqis are convinced that the election was legitimate or even legitimate enough then the election will have been a success. Having said all that, I am realistic enough to know that this vote will not automatically solve all this country’s problems or infighting. But it is a new beginning…
Jody 01.30.05 at 2:36 am
Good thoughts although I respectfully disagree.
I think they will succeed because the majority of Iraqis want to vote and if you are willing to vote in the face of death then your vote is going to be a meaningful one. I am sure the Iraqis who vote will have given much thought about what their vote means and who for whom they will vote.
The elections will not fail because of voter ignorance. Unfortunately everytime the US has an election, uninformed voters vote. This is not an unusual or unprecedented phenomena. Here in Florida, we have to vote almost every election to repeal an admendment that was voted to approve the last election (high speed trains anyone?).
Now I agree with you that the candidate list is daunting, and this could be a legitimacy issue if the ballots are not correctly formatted (Again, my great state of Florida, need I say anymore?) and that is the key to this election. The legitimacy. If the Iraqis are convinced that the election was legitimate or even legitimate enough then the election will have been a success. Having said all that, I am realistic enough to know that this vote will not automatically solve all this country’s problems or infighting. But it is a new beginning…
Aaron Brazell 01.30.05 at 11:39 am
Hey Jody,
I have a couple of problems with your rhetoric.
What makes you think this? Have you talked to Iraqis, or just FoxNews? Objectively, if I were an Iraqi and my major news sources were Al Jazeera and other Arab news sources, and violence is all around me to the point I might get killed if I go to the supermarket, I may not want to upset the apple cart, know what I’m saying? I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you, just asking you to take more than the Administration’s word for it.
Apples and oranges, my dear. The United States has an already established democracy with already established political parties that have already established political trends. Asking a military person overseas to choose between 2 candiadtes, Republican or Democrat, on federal, state and local levels is not the same as asking an Iraqi to vote for a political party or coalition they have no idea about, voting for a prime minister when the only known name is Allawi, etc. Granted you make a point about amendements, etc, but you the voter can become educated. It is impossible with so many parties and candidates on such a short timeline with all the violence all around.
Aaron Brazell 01.30.05 at 12:39 pm
Hey Jody,
I have a couple of problems with your rhetoric.
What makes you think this? Have you talked to Iraqis, or just FoxNews? Objectively, if I were an Iraqi and my major news sources were Al Jazeera and other Arab news sources, and violence is all around me to the point I might get killed if I go to the supermarket, I may not want to upset the apple cart, know what I’m saying? I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you, just asking you to take more than the Administration’s word for it.
Apples and oranges, my dear. The United States has an already established democracy with already established political parties that have already established political trends. Asking a military person overseas to choose between 2 candiadtes, Republican or Democrat, on federal, state and local levels is not the same as asking an Iraqi to vote for a political party or coalition they have no idea about, voting for a prime minister when the only known name is Allawi, etc. Granted you make a point about amendements, etc, but you the voter can become educated. It is impossible with so many parties and candidates on such a short timeline with all the violence all around.
Aaron Brazell 01.30.05 at 12:39 pm
Hey Jody,
I have a couple of problems with your rhetoric.
What makes you think this? Have you talked to Iraqis, or just FoxNews? Objectively, if I were an Iraqi and my major news sources were Al Jazeera and other Arab news sources, and violence is all around me to the point I might get killed if I go to the supermarket, I may not want to upset the apple cart, know what I’m saying? I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you, just asking you to take more than the Administration’s word for it.
Apples and oranges, my dear. The United States has an already established democracy with already established political parties that have already established political trends. Asking a military person overseas to choose between 2 candiadtes, Republican or Democrat, on federal, state and local levels is not the same as asking an Iraqi to vote for a political party or coalition they have no idea about, voting for a prime minister when the only known name is Allawi, etc. Granted you make a point about amendements, etc, but you the voter can become educated. It is impossible with so many parties and candidates on such a short timeline with all the violence all around.
FireWolf 01.30.05 at 3:55 pm
If you want to read about the success or failure of voting in Iraq yesterday/today check out Cigars in the Sand. A security consultant in Iraq who helped in securing polling places. He even has pictures.
Jody 01.30.05 at 4:46 pm
Our major newsource is the liberally biased MSM, during our election on a daily basis, we heard about what Bush was doing wrong. Now I am not comparing CBS with Al Jazeera, but I am saying that even in Iraq there are alternate sources of information. The Iraqis are seeing the insurgents kill their own, and they’re seeing the marines rebuild the schools. I know it is not as simple as that but the turnout today shows that the Iraqis can see through the propaganda and are willing to risk their lives to save their country.
Also I remind you that no country has a perfect form of government and that they all had to begin somewhere. And none of those beginnings were perfectly conceived and executed from the first election. It evolved. This is the Iraqi’s beginning.
FireWolf 01.30.05 at 4:55 pm
If you want to read about the success or failure of voting in Iraq yesterday/today check out Cigars in the Sand. A security consultant in Iraq who helped in securing polling places. He even has pictures.
FireWolf 01.30.05 at 4:55 pm
If you want to read about the success or failure of voting in Iraq yesterday/today check out Cigars in the Sand. A security consultant in Iraq who helped in securing polling places. He even has pictures.
Jody 01.30.05 at 5:46 pm
Our major newsource is the liberally biased MSM, during our election on a daily basis, we heard about what Bush was doing wrong. Now I am not comparing CBS with Al Jazeera, but I am saying that even in Iraq there are alternate sources of information. The Iraqis are seeing the insurgents kill their own, and they’re seeing the marines rebuild the schools. I know it is not as simple as that but the turnout today shows that the Iraqis can see through the propaganda and are willing to risk their lives to save their country.
Also I remind you that no country has a perfect form of government and that they all had to begin somewhere. And none of those beginnings were perfectly conceived and executed from the first election. It evolved. This is the Iraqi’s beginning.
Jody 01.30.05 at 5:46 pm
Our major newsource is the liberally biased MSM, during our election on a daily basis, we heard about what Bush was doing wrong. Now I am not comparing CBS with Al Jazeera, but I am saying that even in Iraq there are alternate sources of information. The Iraqis are seeing the insurgents kill their own, and they’re seeing the marines rebuild the schools. I know it is not as simple as that but the turnout today shows that the Iraqis can see through the propaganda and are willing to risk their lives to save their country.
Also I remind you that no country has a perfect form of government and that they all had to begin somewhere. And none of those beginnings were perfectly conceived and executed from the first election. It evolved. This is the Iraqi’s beginning.
Stephan Segraves 01.30.05 at 10:52 pm
You have to remember that the important part of the elections was the not the election of a president but the election of members of their legislature. The people want representation and the multiparty system that the U.N. has decided to put into place will help the people in certain regions get their voices heard.
I think the downside to this form of government is that for some countries things never get done because all of the groups don’t agree. Will we see that in Iraq? Maybe, but I think the first step to effective government is at least giving the people a voice.
Stephan Segraves 01.30.05 at 11:52 pm
You have to remember that the important part of the elections was the not the election of a president but the election of members of their legislature. The people want representation and the multiparty system that the U.N. has decided to put into place will help the people in certain regions get their voices heard.
I think the downside to this form of government is that for some countries things never get done because all of the groups don’t agree. Will we see that in Iraq? Maybe, but I think the first step to effective government is at least giving the people a voice.
Stephan Segraves 01.30.05 at 11:52 pm
You have to remember that the important part of the elections was the not the election of a president but the election of members of their legislature. The people want representation and the multiparty system that the U.N. has decided to put into place will help the people in certain regions get their voices heard.
I think the downside to this form of government is that for some countries things never get done because all of the groups don’t agree. Will we see that in Iraq? Maybe, but I think the first step to effective government is at least giving the people a voice.
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