Economists like to talk about how voting is irrational. And some people argue, perhaps correctly, that voting and democracy are "western" ideas that cannot find root in say, the Middle East. And surely democracy is oversold and romanticized, especially without a constitution and a culture that respects that constitution. But as elections loom in Iraq, this picture
from the Washington Post’s coverage (rr) of last week’s Egyptian election is worth much more than a thousand words.
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But, but, I thought we had been told time and time again that because of out invasion of Iraq we were seeing the spread of democracy to Egypt and other Middle Eastern Countries.
Now that justification for the war couldn't possibly be wrong, could it?
It makes for nice pictures. Too bad SCIRI will take over when the US leaves. Not to insinuate that we shouldn't leave; no one is willing to keep American troops there for many years to train a sufficient Iraqi army. Rather, the mistake was invading in the first place- For this, a resignation would be the honorable thing, but an impeachment may be necessary if we are to have any credibility in the future.
"And surely democracy is oversold and romanticized, especially without a constitution and a culture that respects that constitution." — But when we look over the rim of the known universe, various other worlds _do_ appear. What sorts of political arrangements do they have? E.g., Britain, Australia, France (how many constitutions was that?), India (how many amendments?), NZ, South Africa, Canada, Germany, et hoc genus omne.