Arabs Say Iraq Vote Gives Democracy a Bad Name (Reuters)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050128/wl_nm/iraq_election_arabs_dc_2

Arabs Say Iraq Vote Gives Democracy a Bad Name

Fri Jan 28, 8:52 AM ET World - Reuters

By Tom Perry

CAIRO (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) sees Sunday's election in Iraq (news - web sites) as a beacon for freedom in the Middle East, but Arab reformers say the poll will set back their cause.

Arab human rights activists say the Iraqi election is deeply flawed and will give democracy a bad name. They say violence and the prospect of a Sunni Arab boycott will undermine the poll. Many Arabs, already suspicious of U.S. intentions in Iraq, are also dismissing the vote's credibility because of the presence of the 150,000 U.S. troops there.

"The influence of the elections for us as democrats is disastrous," Syrian human rights activist Haytham Manna told Reuters from Paris. "When you marginalize wide sections of society from the political process ... this is not democracy."

"With this example, all the Arab extremists will say to us: 'You democrats, go to hell, because you haven't been able to solve our problems with your democracy and elections'," said Manna, who left Syria in 1978 as a political exile.

more:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050128/wl_nm/iraq_election_arabs_dc_2

We all know that Smirky and the Gang are not really interested in democracy.
We also know that they are interested in scaring the bejeezus out of the Amurkan people.

So what better outcome could there be?
Fake the election (Allawi wins)
Strengthen the Arab extremists

We're in business for decades now !!!

rather than "democracy is bad". Democracy works. People fight with words rather than guns (most of the times). You win by rallying armies of voters rather than armies.

if any one here gives a damn.

:hi:

Time to use some of that tact and diplomacy she is so famous for.

<>

i see a lot of people who are (rightly) cynical about iraq's chances in establishing a successful democracy, but i also see a lot of people who are rooting for its failure solely because they hope to discredit their political enemies.

i'm not naive enough to think that iraq's transition to a constitutional state is going to be perfect or miraculous. but i am a realist enough to know that, based on where we are right here and right now, the iraqi people deserve the chance to put their national life (and personal lives) back together - and hope for something better than either saddam's tyranny and america's war and occupation.

hoping for a disaster just to advance a political agenda strikes me as petty and mean-spirited, and if saying so makes me persona non grata around here, so be it.

feel free to fire up your flamethrowers.

hey *pssht* yes you... i've got nice claims in switzerland and austria with maritime access. very cheap. but there are many interesteds so you'll have to decide quickly. the house in switzerland at the shore to mare mediterrane for €13'000 the austrian claim to the adria is without house €3'500.

What you'd say?

/sarcasm off

you been in...Iraq Freedom Democracy is a bunch of crap. Those people will never be free. They were invaded, raped, killed, for what???

I don't see how success is possible. Most people won't/can't/dare not vote, there are 7,000 candidates on the ballot, some of the parties are no longer identified by their usual names.

How could this election be a success?

Repugs don't care about wide margins of a country. Look at our own.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues/472476