Press Action ::: After the Liberating Democracy of the Elections

Friday, February 11, 2005

After the Liberating Democracy of the Elections

By Micah Holmquist

The Iraqi elections have proven once and for all that America was right to liberate Iraq and that Iraqis want to be free, but true freedom will only come through the combined actions of Americans and Iraqis.

All of the arguments against liberating Iraq have been proven false.

Sure, we killed a lot of Iraqis, but a lot of Native Americans had to be killed so we could make America a great nation.

Yes, democracy wasn’t the first things on President George W. Bush’s mind, but with some prodding from Grand Ayatollah Ali al Husseini al-Sistani, he got his act together.

There may even be some smidgen of truth in the results of a Zogby poll of 805 Iraqi adults conducted January 19 to 23, which said a large number, even a majority, of Iraqis want us Americans to leave Iraq by at least the end of this year, but we know what is best for them and won’t leave until we have accomplished that task.

The lessons to learn from this are America is always right and freedom and democracy works. The first is self evident, but the second is bolstered by a look at history.

Democracy could have prevented all of the world’s historical tragedies. If America had been a democracy before 1861, over 600,000 people wouldn’t have had to die in The Civil War so, in the end, we could decide that humans shouldn’t own other humans. If the German people had tasted democracy, Nazi Germany never would have happened. Even today the perils of not being a democracy can be seen. If Venezuela were a democracy, the people wouldn’t keep electing terrorist supporter Hugo Chavez.

The strength of democracies is that people can’t be manipulated. They will hold their elected leaders accountable. As President Bush said in his most recent State of the Union address, “governments answer to their citizens” in free and democratic countries.

The situation is now very wonderful in Iraq, but if the Iraqi people are to remain free, they will have to overcome several hurdles. This won’t be easy, but, fortunately for them, they do have the model of the United States of America.

The Iraqi people should ignore those amongst them who complain about the way their election was held, just as those who rule America ignore those who make similar complaints about our wonderful system. Last month, when some radicals challenged aspects of how the U.S. conducted its 2004 presidential election, the great mind of House Majority Whip Roy Blunt put them in their place by saying, “Every time we attack the process, we cast that doubt on that fabric of democracy that is so important.”

Crazy political types aren’t worth listening to. If they were, they would have more political power.

You should also ignore their individual dissidents such as this blogger guy named Raed Jarrar, who just can’t seem to stop writing about silly ideas like this suggestion that Iraqi lives are as important as those of Americans and other people from Coalition countries who are in their country’s military or the possibility that many Iraqis believed failure to vote would result in the loss of food rations.

That’s just foolish anti-Iraqi talk and you would be well advised to make him into your Ward Churchill, someone you criticize a lot, but not someone whom you actually talk to or who has ideas you talk about.

Condemning dissidents is the job of a civil society in a democracy. That job certainly isn’t to worry about nine billion dollars being unaccounted for. Your leaders, both those that you elect and those that are appointed by people who care about you, are very busy working hard to keep you safe and prosperous. They don’t need you bothering them. Soon they will be drafting a constitution for you to approve. If you believe in freedom and democracy, it is your job to approve this constitution. Otherwise the terrorists win.

The road ahead for America would be even more difficult if we weren’t the greatest country ever. We have to decide whether to go after Iran, Syria or both.

Can we do it?

You bet our ability to kill you we can.

Micah Holmquist, editor of Irregular Thoughts and Links, is a Cadillac, Mich.-based writer.

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