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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KLP who wrote (69943)	9/13/2004 9:59:06 PM
From: Dayuhan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793677

I don't know why people engage in the blindingly stupid exercise of discussing what "the Iraqi people" think or want. The Iraqi people are not a homogeneous entity. Some of them love us and want us to stay. Some of them hate us and want us to go. Some of them aren't really happy with our presence, but think it's better than the alternative, which at this point is presumably anarchy. A whole lot of them, I would venture to guess most, are worried as hell about where it's all going. Anybody who claims to know what "the majority" wants is full of it. We just don't know that, and probably won't for some time. My own guess, based on experience in nations making the transition out of dictatorship, is that most people will be thinking less about what's best for Iraq than about what arrangement will best protect them and the sub-group with which they identify from the other groups. The Shiites are in the majority, but after centuries of domination and abuse they are understandably wary about any arrangement that will not see them firmly in the driver's seat. The Sunnis are terrified of what might happen if they are placed at the mercy of those they once dominated. The Kurds just want out. Within these groups there are innumerable shades of opinion and organization. The political groups that dominate are likely to be those first off the mark with effective organization, not necessarily those representing some coherent - and at this point probably hypothetical - majority. Anyone who tells you it's simple, or that "the Iraqis" really love us and all the problems are with the media, is blowing hot gas.