T-Minus Three Days...and Counting

Imagine being fifty years old and never every having had the opportunity to vote in a political election. Unfortunately, there are entire herds of adults here in the US whom have had the chance to vote and routinely find the time to ignore the opportunity when it is available to them. Many times they are also the most vocal protestors in any given crowd.

Not me. I couldn’t vote against the dictator-butt-kisser-in chief, socialist loving Reverend Jimmy Carter in 1976 because I was too young, but I was there standing in line in 1980 when Ronald “The Gipper” Reagan was on the ballot. I’ve voted in every single presidential election since then and most of the mid term elections.

I am constantly amazed at the ignorance (and stupidity) exhibited by so-called voters who cannot even name the name of their US Senators. They have no clue whom their representative is at the state house level, but they will beat you to death verbally at every opportunity with the liberal/conservative Democrat/Republican talking points they learn in the headlines of the newspapers and by watching a few minutes of the TV evening network news.

So much for the state of American politics…Iraq is another matter.

In less than three days the registered voters in Iraq are going to have the opportunity to exercise a privilege that many here in the US routinely choose to ignore. Fourteen point five million Iraqi voters are going to VOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER FIFTY YEARS.

The Friends of Democracy Blog has some interesting insights into the street level goings on in Iraq. Instead of Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Greens, and H. Ross Perot’s, they have hundreds of “lists” representing individual political groups.

Here is an interesting example of a party platform. Along with providing a listing of their platform, I’m going to offer few select comments and some fairly important historical references for their education and use…

"The Coalition of the Independent Sons of Missan announced its list No.336. The Coalition is an independent professional group running for the Missan governorate council. The main points of its program:"

"1-Serving the people of the governorate in cities and rural areas with total honesty, integrity and sincerity, without any discrimination based on class, tribe or confession."

Sounds good to me…For reference, see The US Constitution. It’s got over two hundred years of experience and (ab)use. Caution, your mileage may vary.

"2-Improving deteriorating public services in the governorate, finding efficient solutions to the unemployment problem by encouraging investment in new projects and creating new jobs."

Again, a no brainer…but I suggest that you have to be careful with respect to government funding of jobs. Let the new jobs be created by private enterprise rather than the new government. See Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal

"3-Eradicating administrative and fiscal corruption in most government departments by naming competent, honest and experienced people to positions of responsibility and supervising works and projects in the governorate."

Amen, brother. Also, employing a digital camera phone for evidence gathering and the liberal use of a firing squad does wonders when it comes to encouraging fiscal responsibility.

"4-Eliminating the deleterious effects left by the previous regime in all fields of life, especially since they are reappearing under new forms and faces (corruption, dictatorship, nepotism)."

Do I have another Amen from the audience? How about a loud Hallelujah?

"5-Giving women a greater role at all levels to improve their actual state of inferiority"

Poor choice of wording here guys…let’s try eliminating the inferiority rather than improving it…

"6-Promoting the private sector in order to increase investments."

See the dictionary under the heading Reaganomics.

"7-Improving health services, working toward health insurance for all citizens."

Careful boys and girls, this is an extremely slippery slope. Suggest looking up Hillarycare in the dictionary. Health insurance = good. Universal healthcare = Canada

"8-Promoting and developing tourism, especially in the Ahwar areas."

I’m afraid that this one is going to take a few decades to develop…sorry guys.

"9-Protecting the environment."

Please, just don’t jump on the Global Warming and the United Nations Kyoto Protocol bandwagon. You guys just need to stop dumping zillions of gallons of raw crude out onto the sand and into the Euphrates river and everyone in the ‘global community” will be quite happy. And by the way, can you say $1.25 gas???

"10-Compensating martyrs families and victims of the former regime."

Again, careful here…where is the “compensation” money going to come from? Taxing the achievers in your society? Bad idea...

See September 11 fund. Why should someone that lost a loved one in the US in NYC on 9/11 get a million dollars and a poor woman whose husband was killed on the same day in a Florida construction accident or kid whose mom died in an Alabama car wreck get nothing?

Isn't it amazing how familiar the "planks" of this political "platform" are to all of us here in the US? It's not perfect but it is definitely a STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

GOOD LUCK IRAQ...