Friday, December 03, 2004
Stop Rooting Against America!
Why Jan. 30 Won't Work: "But, and here is where disaster lurks, this is virtually certain not to occur. Sunni leaders have told their people not to vote in order to protest the Fallouja offensive, and insurgents will intimidate many others. Sunni Arab turnout, then, might well be as low as a quarter of their total number, compared with likely Kurd and Shiite voters reaching three-quarters of their totals, or more. In 1992, more than 90% of Kurds voted in free elections in the north.
If this were to happen, Sunni Arabs could end up holding only 5% of the assembly seats while constituting 20% of Iraq's population. Shiites could amass 65% of the seats with only 55% of the population, while the Kurds would have 25% of the seats with less than 20% of the population. Thus, Shiites and Kurds would dominate the elected assembly overwhelmingly, while Sunni Arabs effectively would be marginalized.
Such results would not only be unfair, but they could light a stick of ethnic, religious and policy dynamite. With a commanding majority in the assembly, the Shiites would understandably expect to govern Iraq. But the reality is that Sunni Arabs will not accept rule by the very people they bossed and victimized for most of the last century. National elections will make Iraq's Sunni center less governable, not more. "
This particular grab of the political "Oh Sh**" handle is silly, silly, silly. They are suggesting that there will actually be large blocks of citizenry not to vote in this election to oppose democracy. If we learned anything in Afghanistan, it was that people who have never had the right to vote will risk their lives to do so. We also learned that the 'sky is falling' liberal warnings were ridiculous then just as they are now.
This election needs to happen. It will be another victory for the Iraqi people against those that do not want peace and stability. Having a democratically elected government is the terrorist's cryptonite. The sooner we serve it, the better. To be in favor of election delay is to do the terrorist's bidding.
If this were to happen, Sunni Arabs could end up holding only 5% of the assembly seats while constituting 20% of Iraq's population. Shiites could amass 65% of the seats with only 55% of the population, while the Kurds would have 25% of the seats with less than 20% of the population. Thus, Shiites and Kurds would dominate the elected assembly overwhelmingly, while Sunni Arabs effectively would be marginalized.
Such results would not only be unfair, but they could light a stick of ethnic, religious and policy dynamite. With a commanding majority in the assembly, the Shiites would understandably expect to govern Iraq. But the reality is that Sunni Arabs will not accept rule by the very people they bossed and victimized for most of the last century. National elections will make Iraq's Sunni center less governable, not more. "
This particular grab of the political "Oh Sh**" handle is silly, silly, silly. They are suggesting that there will actually be large blocks of citizenry not to vote in this election to oppose democracy. If we learned anything in Afghanistan, it was that people who have never had the right to vote will risk their lives to do so. We also learned that the 'sky is falling' liberal warnings were ridiculous then just as they are now.
This election needs to happen. It will be another victory for the Iraqi people against those that do not want peace and stability. Having a democratically elected government is the terrorist's cryptonite. The sooner we serve it, the better. To be in favor of election delay is to do the terrorist's bidding.
