Friday, December 16, 2005
An Un-winable situation?
In the past few weeks the national media has been loudly trumpeting comments by various politicians that the situation in Iraq is un-winable, and we need to bring our troops home immediately, before more unnecessary deaths occur. Well, I don't know about anyone else, but to me the situation appears far from unwinable.
Yesterday, while having lunch in the cafeteria of the hospital I work at, the television in the corner was tuned to Fox News, as it usually is, and the scenes they were showing were interesting, to say the least. It showed long lines of people in Iraq, but rather than rioting or anything like that they were celebrating that they had participated in their country's most recent election. Purple stained fingers, showing they had voted (seems like an interesting idea for here, what with the charges of voter fraud that have plagued recent elections), were proudly displayed, and the one I was most struck by was that of an older woman in traditional local attire. I see it as the Iraqi people flashing the Finger (even though not the one usually used for it) at all those in this country who say things are worse there than before we removed Saddam from power.
Even in Sunni controlled areas of Iraq, where the backbone of the insurgency is located, people turned out in such large numbers (in spite of the very real threat of violence) that they needed more ballots, and polling places had to stay open extended hours to handle the mass of voters. I know the media will try to spin this, and other things, to make yesterday look like a defeat, but I'm encouraged.
I have heard estimates that as many as eleven million of Iraq's approximately fifteen million eligible voters participated in yesterday's election, for an estimated turnout of around seventy three percent. That's right, seventy three percent, and this just for what would be considered an off-year congressional election here! I wonder what voter turnout next November is going to be in this country? Makes you wonder who is actually more interested in the way their government is doing things, doesn't it?
Yesterday, while having lunch in the cafeteria of the hospital I work at, the television in the corner was tuned to Fox News, as it usually is, and the scenes they were showing were interesting, to say the least. It showed long lines of people in Iraq, but rather than rioting or anything like that they were celebrating that they had participated in their country's most recent election. Purple stained fingers, showing they had voted (seems like an interesting idea for here, what with the charges of voter fraud that have plagued recent elections), were proudly displayed, and the one I was most struck by was that of an older woman in traditional local attire. I see it as the Iraqi people flashing the Finger (even though not the one usually used for it) at all those in this country who say things are worse there than before we removed Saddam from power.
Even in Sunni controlled areas of Iraq, where the backbone of the insurgency is located, people turned out in such large numbers (in spite of the very real threat of violence) that they needed more ballots, and polling places had to stay open extended hours to handle the mass of voters. I know the media will try to spin this, and other things, to make yesterday look like a defeat, but I'm encouraged.
I have heard estimates that as many as eleven million of Iraq's approximately fifteen million eligible voters participated in yesterday's election, for an estimated turnout of around seventy three percent. That's right, seventy three percent, and this just for what would be considered an off-year congressional election here! I wonder what voter turnout next November is going to be in this country? Makes you wonder who is actually more interested in the way their government is doing things, doesn't it?
# posted by Transplanted Yankee @ 12/16/2005 04:42:00 AM 
