nerdgirl 0 #1 February 10, 2009 Anybody else been paying attention to the results of the parliamentary and provincial elections in Iraq? Preliminary results have been released. In summary: Prime Minister Maliki’s Dawa party/State of Law alliance coalition did well (not great). ISCI (Iran-backed party) and Sadr did not do well. The election appears to have been mostly transparent and regarded as free & fair in most areas with a few notable exceptions. In general, this was a positive sign w/r/t security and stability and rule of law. Most of the country was violence-free during the election; Diyala province as the exception. There were at least a couple (of which I am aware) candidates assassinated very close to the election, so it's not completely secure. Sunni Arabs participated actively as opposed to largely boycotting the last election. The success of Maliki’s Dawa party is widely seen as a popular referendum in support of Maliki. One of the speculations before the Iraq SOFA went into effect (1Jan2009) with it's required drawdown of US forces was that there might be a resurgence of violence. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
434 2 #2 February 10, 2009 I noticed a news article mention the biggest religious parties was lower as expected, but to be true I have not seen to much regarding this vote, and today it is election in Israel as well! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #3 February 10, 2009 The news media doesn't want to spend any time on this. It shows the success of the Bush strategy in Iraq. And that's a bad topic, because they only like to report failures. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #4 February 10, 2009 Except for the New York Times, which is the link in the original post. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #5 February 10, 2009 Phew, glad that's finally over, and I can finally take that "Dawa party/State of Law alliance coalition" bumper sticker off my car. People in traffic were sticking their tongues out at me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beowulf 1 #6 February 10, 2009 That's the funny thing about the American public. Failure sells more then success. It really doesn't matter who it's about the news reflects what the public wants to see and seeing people fail or getting caught doing something they aren't supposed to do is what everyone wants to see. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pirana 0 #7 February 10, 2009 QuoteThat's the funny thing about the American public. Failure sells more then success. It really doesn't matter who it's about the news reflects what the public wants to see and seeing people fail or getting caught doing something they aren't supposed to do is what everyone wants to see. Hence the popularity of "reality" TV. The most popular form of entertainment these days appears to be watching people get shouted down, screamed at, and insulted in every imaginable manner." . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #8 February 10, 2009 QuoteThe news media doesn't want to spend any time on this. It shows the success of the Bush strategy in Iraq. And that's a bad topic, because they only like to report failures. There are plenty of dictatorships ruled by evil fuckwads in the world. Should the US make it its full-time mission to effect "democratizing" regime change in all of them? If the answer is No, then we can't buy that as a successful strategic reason for having invaded and occupied Iraq. The threat of WMDs has been pretty much debunked, too. The only strategy Bush had in invading Iraq was using it to come to terms with the personal insecurities bred of his Oedipal complex, father issues, mediocre intellect and alcoholism. I hope he got those all worked out now, or else it will have been a hell of a waste of blood and treasure. And that's hardly a story of success. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beowulf 1 #9 February 10, 2009 Yeah, I think thats a really sad truth. I hate those "reality" TV bullshit shows. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pirana 0 #10 February 10, 2009 Yes, interesting results. IMO though, I think the jury is still out on how much will stick. Not being there, and not trusting what anyone with an agenda has to say; it's hard to say how much our presence is propping things up. Would it hold if we vacated tommorow? Almost certainly not. Violence is down, but the place still seems just a tad more dangerous than your average civilian environment. Can't toot the horn too wildly when the best thing that can be said about the violence is that it mostly occurred in just a couple provinces and there were only a couple minor political assasinations in the last week." . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,129 #11 February 10, 2009 It sounds like progress to me. Not perfect (and some folks expect perfection or nothing), but having people who feel invested enough in the results that they turn out to vote this time, when they didn't last time, is great. Because it shows that they're acknowledging that the vote is power. That doesn't necessarily mean I think that the way it got there was very good. But as long as there is positive out there, let's build on that and keep going. Spending all of our time in recriminations isn't very helpful. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #12 February 10, 2009 QuoteSpending all of our time in recriminations isn't very helpful. True enough; but that doesn't negate the value or propriety of a cost-benefit analysis. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,129 #13 February 10, 2009 Oh absolutely. Fun though it might be to go squirrel-shooting with an elephant gun, and while you are overwhelmingly likely to end up with a dead squirrel, it's not the best way to end up with squirrel for dinner. Or something like that. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #14 February 10, 2009 QuoteThe only strategy Bush had in invading Iraq was using it to come to terms with the personal insecurities bred of his Oedipal complex, father issues, mediocre intellect and alcoholism. I hope he got those all worked out now, or else it will have been a hell of a waste of blood and treasure. And that's hardly a story of success. Projection, perhaps? Prove your cite.Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
434 2 #15 February 10, 2009 Like Kuwait for an example? or Saudi? Or Thaksin who was Thailands head? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
headoverheels 291 #16 February 10, 2009 QuoteThe only strategy Bush had in invading Iraq was using it to come to terms with the personal insecurities bred of his Oedipal complex, father issues, mediocre intellect and alcoholism. I hope he got those all worked out now, or else it will have been a hell of a waste of blood and treasure. And that's hardly a story of success. It was about oil. If not, it was truly pointless. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #17 February 10, 2009 Quote Quote The only strategy Bush had in invading Iraq was using it to come to terms with the personal insecurities bred of his Oedipal complex, father issues, mediocre intellect and alcoholism. I hope he got those all worked out now, or else it will have been a hell of a waste of blood and treasure. And that's hardly a story of success. It was about oil. If not, it was truly pointless. There are way too many people who truly are to fucking stupid to realize thatIt really is a failure of our educational system to teach any semblance of critical thinking. They rely instead on the daily propoganda put out to the idiots who make their living swaying the "people" to lead them down the path of WMD... oh wait... Operation Iraqi "Freedom"....or one of the other excuses to cloud the real reasons. The best thing.. as always is to FOLLOW THE MONEY. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #18 February 11, 2009 QuoteQuoteThe only strategy Bush had in invading Iraq was using it to come to terms with the personal insecurities bred of his Oedipal complex, father issues, mediocre intellect and alcoholism. I hope he got those all worked out now, or else it will have been a hell of a waste of blood and treasure. And that's hardly a story of success. Projection, perhaps? Prove your cite. Wow. Good thing I didn't mention his small penis. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
