NationStates Jolt Archive


Iraq--Willing to bet on it?

Southern Industrial
28-06-2004, 03:16
In my close circle of extremely liberal people, the idea that Iraq will become more stable, or even stay where its at, is a complete joke. I'm wondering how many conservative accually believe this. What do you think, Linda?
Chess Squares
28-06-2004, 03:21
i am quite knowledge on how the radical right perceive what the ythink is reality

the radical right belives Iraq will turn into a peaceful and efficient jeffersonian democracy with a little help from teh us, we will become their big brother and the ywill become our most loyal friends and help us out in OPEC
Southern Industrial
28-06-2004, 03:26
I have a feeling no one's posting cause they don't realize "Linda" is a Farenheight 451 reference...
Ashmoria
28-06-2004, 03:37
o
farenheit 451
yeah
i knew that
i wasnt waiting for linda to post
Purly Euclid
28-06-2004, 04:34
I feel that Iraq can stabilize. Most importantly, the Coalition is training security forces throughout the country. The ineffective ones are those on duty, but not trained (only a quarter are trained). They should help hold the country together. The only reason, however, the country seems as bad as it is now is because al-Qaeda is ramping up attacks for June 30, and probably for about a month afterward, in a desparate attempt to destabilize the government. The real threat comes from militias, such as those of Muqtada al-Sadr. However, as militias are starting to act more and more of vigilantes (in cooperation with the police), most of the nationalist ones will probably absorb into the Iraqi police in the next few months. For the long term, it's dificult to predict. However, long term chaos should be surpressed by Iraq's new security forces, and, as we should hope, a prosperous populace. After all, there is a direct link between democracy and wealth.
Lunatic Goofballs
28-06-2004, 04:44
I think the most helpful thing the U.S.A. can do for Iraq's stability is leave. The only government that the Iraqis will accept is one that they feel is NOT a puppet of America.
Anti-Pi
28-06-2004, 04:54
I would like to point out that just because the democratic west is wealthy does not mean that there is a direct link between democracy and wealth. Out of the entierity of the old Soviet Union and it's satellites, the only one that has made any real progress in it's GDP since being 'liberated' is Poland, which has I must say done admirably (around 50% increase since 1990 I believe, this is just an approximation of a hazy memory). On the other hand, the majority of the old eastern bloc and the new countries that emerged from the Union have actually gone downhill economically. Though it would be true to point out that many of these states are not true democracies, (and in many cases not even close), there is an about equal number of states that are democratic in a very real sense, but they are all doing just as poorly.
Stephistan
28-06-2004, 04:56
Face it, Iraq is going to hell in a hand-basket, I think we may not see that change in our life times.
Stirner
28-06-2004, 04:58
Iraq is going to hell in a hand-basket,
Where is it coming from?
Friends of Bill
28-06-2004, 04:58
Face it, Iraq is going to hell in a hand-basket, I think we may not see that change in our life times.The same thing was said of Germany, post-war.
Anti-Pi
28-06-2004, 05:12
Post world war one or two? Because it went to hell in a handbasket after WWI. :P

I think an arabic friend of mine put it best: "What the West will never understand is that the arabs, in general, just plain want to kill each other. It's been like that for thousands of years, and the only time they will stop killing each other is when they have a common enemy. Once that common enemy is defeated or driven off, they will go back to killing each other. Western influenced may have changed some of the people in the more prosperous and semi-westernised cities, and certainly not every arab is a bloodthirsty warmonger, but the media is too selective in their coverage. They are not as huge a portion of the populace as one would think."