Report from Iraq II

I posted this earlier

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3712524&mesg_id=3712524

and wanted to add something.

During the commander's report, he said something that I have wondered about a long time. Here's a paraphrase of his statement:

Whatever government ends up in Iraq, it is going to have to be a very, very strong government. These people have been tribal for a very long time. In a tribe, the strongest dude runs the show. If you are not the strongest guy over there, someone will kill you and take over. That's the way these people have lived, it is what they understand and expect, and it is going to take a long time for them to relate to something different. It is not going to be any time soon that the Iraqi people know how to govern themselves the way we want them to.

My take on his statement is that there is little chance in our lifetimes that democracy will take a foothold. This just kills me because of all the sacrifices families here in the U.S. have made, not to mention the suffering of the Iraqi people.

Thoughts? Comments?

Something about welcoming home the troops. It shows a little girl who is waiting to see her mother......and when the mother comes, all the little girl can do is cry. No words, just cry and hug her mother. How many kids are being torn away from their parents and will be traumatized over the loss? For a little kid, a year is a lifetime. Anyway, this bothers me a lot, and there is no end in sight.

I have a niece whose husband was called up at the beginning of the war. They have three children. He spent eight months in Jabhuti (sp?) staging to go to Iraq, but never went. He got involved with another soldier, and upon his return, divorced his wife and left his children to be with the new gal. That was over a year ago now. My niece moved away from her ex and took the children with her so she could live close to her mother go to nursing school to support the three kids better. Meanwhile, the dad has dumped the new girl and is trying to win his wife and family back. And the children suffer.

"It is not going to be any time soon that the Iraqi people know how to govern themselves the way we want them to."

It would appear he has asked himself WHY SHOULD THEY?

Do you remember the hoopla about "democracy" taking a foothold in the former USSR? Why is it that Americans think that their (now totally corrupt) governing system is superior? :shrug: