Should the Iraqi Election be Delayed?

Special to FreeRepublic ^ | 10 December, 2004 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

[El Gato]

After all, the UN is dominated by dictatorships who fear free elections the way vampires fear necklaces of garlic.

I'd say more like the way vampires fear silver bullets, crucifixes, and wooden stakes. (and of course Buffy). Dictatorships fear elections because afterwords, dictators often end up dead, or at beat exiled to Uganda or Saudi Arabia.

[BohDaThone]

Generally sound analysis -- BUT. Washington was "unanimous" in the sense that every elector gave him a vote. Pre-12th amendment, each elector had TWO votes. Each give Washington one of his two, and the other vote was scattered among 10 people, with Adams being elected Vice-Pres by having the second most votes. (This system is what led to the fiasco of 1800, where Jefferson and his putative Veep, Burr, tied by having the same number of votes, as ALL of their elctors voted for both, TJ having forgotten the system and not arranging to have one of his guys drop Burr!)

[Congressman Billybob]

You're right. I paused to send the correction to all three of my dead tree editors.

John / Billybob

[El Gato]

how many people waiting to vote in florida were gunned down by AK47s and car bombs? if you don't think that is going to happen on election day in iraq, you are mistaken. absent some quick turnaround in the security situation there, it will.

Require at least one member of each family to come to the poll with an AK-47, SKS, G-3 or whatever. It hasn't been that long since bringing your arms to the poll was a requirement in Switzerland. It also tends to discourage the odd Jihadie.

[Jackknife]

Thanks for posting this link on my Iraq thread. This one slipped by me. You have it dead on in this article.

BTW ... My folks live in western N.C., and I will be sending them the link to your website so they can keep their eye out for you.

[oceanview]

yes, security likely will be better in 3 to 6 months. if you are arguing that it will not be, then you are essentially saying the effort in iraq is failing. if the security sitution isn't improving over time, what the hell are we doing over there?

[oceanview]

we can't even get the iraqi police to shoot back - now you want voters to open fire?

[oceanview]

all we need is one major break over there to put this insurgency on the decline - a zarqawi capture, s few incidents where the iraqi forces/police actually repel some attacks and blow the insurgents away. just one break, and we can snap this thing. once the trend is in place, it will feed on itself, and then we will know that an election can be sensibly scheduled and conducted.

[M Kehoe]

Many commentators have questioned whether the Iraqi elections, scheduled for 30 January, 2004, should be delayed.

Hold the election on the appointed date.

5.56mm

[oceanview]

it was part of it - but clearly many of them relocated because the element of surprise was zero.

[don-o]

I just dunno. I have some major uncertainty to whether this democracy export / imposition even fits "these people."

Speaking from ignorance, but I hope that we are taking their cultural / tribal / religious norms into account with what we are doing.

[oceanview]

let them give it a shot. if it fails, we move into the "controlled civil war" stage of this effort, and let the shia and the kurds kill all the sunnis.

[537cant be wrong]

by better are you saying NO attacks on polling places?
i think that delaying elections will not give iraq the legitimacy that it will get if they procede on 1/30/2005.
even in the north after all this time the darn kurds are still letting us fight thier "civil war". when the north is the most U.S. friendly and stable section of iraq. 12 years of no fly protection and 1+ year of U.S. direct involvement on the ground and we still aren't getting what we pay for in U.S. blood.
i am 100% behind what we are doing in the middle east but its time to see if the iraqi are interested in self determination.

[don-o]

"controlled civil war" stage of this effort, and let the shia and the kurds kill all the sunnis.

I am afraid that how it plays out.

Not pretty

[537cant be wrong]

your confusing me now,
let them give it a shot? is this on or after 1/30/2005?
btw, i have no problem with the shia and kurds wiping out the sunni if they don't want to be a part of what could be a major upgrade in life overall.

[oceanview]

yes, a shot at a unified country. not necessarily on 1/30 (for other reasons, namely the security), but in general. it might not work, and the civil war is the "alternative".

[Congressman Billybob]

The easy way to shut down the subhuman bombers is to announce that NO automobiles or trucks other than those manned by uniformed soldiers will be permitted on the roads on election day. Any other vehicles will be fired on immediately if they move.

We can deal with these murderers if they have to come into the street carrying weapons or explosives.

Billybob

[537cant be wrong]

the civil war is already happening. we just happen to be fighting it for the shia and kurds.
after an election the crux of the biscuit will be right square on those who should be actively fighting it now.
we will still be there taking the brunt of the fight but i think the iraqis will gain so much from actually having thier voice heard that even the iraqi police force may gain some backbone.