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Politics : Moderate Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: E. T. who wrote (3492)	9/10/2003 7:10:55 AM
From: Dale Baker	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 20773

Some disturbing numbers in that soothing commentary. Only 40% of Iraqis believe in democracy. Only 37% prefer the US when none of the other choices are remotely democratic. A full one-third want an Islamic government. Third World "democracy" is not like the US where a 54-46 win is a landslide and everyone follows the rules and supports the outcome. Interesting how no one in Washington is talking about the US experience in "democratizing" Bosnia, where we have worked for 8 years now to produce an integrated country that can maintain internal peace on its own. Mostly because the effort has made halting progress at best. As an ex-government, ex-foreign affairs type myself, I see a lot of less than reassuring news in your poll. Thanks for posting it though, it's nice to see some real information instead of anecdotes and supposition.

To: E. T. who wrote (3492)	9/11/2003 7:34:43 AM
From: thames_sider	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 20773

Reassuring? Only for those lacking all concept of the realities of terrorism/resistance/freedom fighting in occupied land. Remember, back in February/March on FADG, my warnings of a situation at least similar to that in NI were dismissed by the warmongers? Sinn Fein used to poll ~5-10% (varied by area), after 20 years it got to ~15%; only got to high numbers very recently after renouncing violence. This, in a tiny land 'British' since ~1200 and certainly actively administered as UK since ~1655. They had minority support with only 5% even espousing the same political aims and far less than 0.1% prepared to be active against the British - and without the use of suicide bombs, in a land where weapons were not standard issue. And yet - the IRA tied down thousands of troops and caused many deaths and mass disruption at home and abroad, for 30 years. The remaining terrorists are still a threat with numbers probably under 100. Those numbers from the WSJ poll are hideous. For a more savage depiction given those odds, ask the Israelis how they liked it in Lebanon, or USSR in Afghanistan, or Nazi Germany against the Maquis... In other words, be real. Not too late yet.