And now, that rant I promised:
Jan. 19th, 2005 09:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
capri0mniTomorrow is the Inauguration of Bush's second term. In ten days, Iraqis are scheduled to vote in their [ahem::CoughCough::] first 'democratic election'. Their [ahem::CoughCough::] 'independance day' was within a week of ours, too.
Uh... laying the obvious symbolism on a little thick, aren't we, George?
But even without that annoying-ness, here's the thing that's been bothering me ever since the build up to the war began, and all our propaganda about "Fostering democracy in the middle east":
Many of the world's worst governments are dictatorships in democratic clothing. Both the former Soviet Union and Communist China have boasted about their near 100% voter turnout. But that doesn't mean that their leaders are really democratically elected, if those voters are never presented with a real choice.
And now, we have the upcoming "elections" in Iraq -- the interim government that comes from that will determine the country's constitution for the foreseeable future -- including the rights and powers the future leaders will hold over the people (including, perhaps, what "emergency powers" it can invoke to restrict rights and when to do so).
All the talk about elections in Iraq has so far focused on registering voters, and getting them to cast their votes in safety. This is vitally important, no doubt about that, but voting is the end of the democratic process, or at least, the middle -- not the beginning!
There has been no oportunity for the different cadidates to campaign, to inform the voters about what their choices are when they get to the polling places, or for the people to petition the candidates about their own concerns and desires.
Is there any real doubt in anyone's mind that those currently in the interim government will only cement and expand what power they have now, if the 'election' is held as scheduled, a little more than 10 days from now?
No... I didn't think so.
And so, I fear we'll have another dictatorship in democracy's clothing. And once they get establisshed, they're really hard to get rid of.
Not that our own president would know much about that; he squashed dessent from his own rallies after all.
Speaking of which, there is a Turn your back on Bush protest planned for tomorrow; I'll be interested to see if it works. If there are enough people participating, it could be quite an impressive sight. If not, they could all end up looking like a few scattered loonies.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for them.
Uh... laying the obvious symbolism on a little thick, aren't we, George?
But even without that annoying-ness, here's the thing that's been bothering me ever since the build up to the war began, and all our propaganda about "Fostering democracy in the middle east":
Many of the world's worst governments are dictatorships in democratic clothing. Both the former Soviet Union and Communist China have boasted about their near 100% voter turnout. But that doesn't mean that their leaders are really democratically elected, if those voters are never presented with a real choice.
And now, we have the upcoming "elections" in Iraq -- the interim government that comes from that will determine the country's constitution for the foreseeable future -- including the rights and powers the future leaders will hold over the people (including, perhaps, what "emergency powers" it can invoke to restrict rights and when to do so).
All the talk about elections in Iraq has so far focused on registering voters, and getting them to cast their votes in safety. This is vitally important, no doubt about that, but voting is the end of the democratic process, or at least, the middle -- not the beginning!
There has been no oportunity for the different cadidates to campaign, to inform the voters about what their choices are when they get to the polling places, or for the people to petition the candidates about their own concerns and desires.
Is there any real doubt in anyone's mind that those currently in the interim government will only cement and expand what power they have now, if the 'election' is held as scheduled, a little more than 10 days from now?
No... I didn't think so.
And so, I fear we'll have another dictatorship in democracy's clothing. And once they get establisshed, they're really hard to get rid of.
Not that our own president would know much about that; he squashed dessent from his own rallies after all.
Speaking of which, there is a Turn your back on Bush protest planned for tomorrow; I'll be interested to see if it works. If there are enough people participating, it could be quite an impressive sight. If not, they could all end up looking like a few scattered loonies.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for them.
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no subject
Date: 2005-01-20 07:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-20 09:50 pm (UTC)And also, in theory, at least, this is an inaugeration party for the whole government, as led by the current president. There are new senators and congressmen coming in, as well as major shifts in the president's cabinet (goodbye, Powell. Hello, Rice).