Al, Iraq is a nation deeply divided along tribal, religious, political and cultural lines. That's what I mean.
So is America, but no one is claiming that Americans aren't capable of a democracy. (Well, no one except Dems who whine about Indecision 2000 and the CA recall.)
In the beginning, we were homogenized, not diverse like we are now......most everyone was Brits with the occasional Frenchman intermixed. The blacks were slaves and the Indians were considered savages.
We were also far enough away from the civilized world to be able to experiment with the trial and error. We also had some modicum of democracy under the Brits.
Iraq is a country with a long history in region that has been mostly in decline for a millenium. I don't know if you know this but the region in which Iraq is located was once called the Fertile Crescent. It was a part of the abundant Mesopotamia. The soil was fertile and their climate was predominately a Mediterranean one not unlike S. California's. The region was extraordinarily prosperous.
However, over time, through the poor rotation of crops and generally bad environmental choices, the soil became stripped of essential nutrients and as deforestation eroded the soil in general, farmland was turned into desert. With climatic and environmental conditions worsening, the Mesopotamian culture was weakened, and eventually was overrun by a succession of foreign marauders. After WW II, Iraq finally became free only to suffer at the hands of a succession of ruthless dictators, the latest being Saddam.
Iraq has no history of democracy; its civilized days are long gone. Reclaiming the soil will be a Herculean task requiring the full cooperation of the ruling class. Oil is its only salvation.
These are not great odds. And truly there are little comparable conditions between us and them for the rooting of democracy in Iraq. Is it possible that Iraq could become a democracy? Its possible. However, its not very probable. The people have got to want democracy and that's not what I hear from the Iraqi people. Oh they claim they want it but their actions do not follow their claims IMO.
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