Iraq the Vote

How nervous are you about Iraqi elections on Sunday? I am quite nervous.

But I can't decide what I should think about it.

If you are like me, you think democracy is good. It should be cultivated and it should be promoted... peacefully, that is. Promoting democracy through war is not at all akin to "you have to break some eggs to make an omelette." But, I digress, this was a discussion for, say 20 months ago.

So, yes, democracy is good. People must have a say in how they are governed and that say must be through direct elections. Having a set of laws is also good, a set, hopefully, that guarantees certain rights for everyone. Of course, what those rights turn out to be is yet another discussion (human vs civil rights, for example, or even a tertiary level of rights).

But, yeah. Those elections. Problematic, considering Zarqawi is intent on disrupting them at all costs. And, "disruption" is a euphamism for "killing many many people in a number of bloody, horrible ways." When democracy advocates of a poetic ilk say things like "marching on a path to freedom" I'm not sure glossing over the issue of "disruptions" does anybody any good.

So, what to do? Go ahead with them? Call them off?

If they do go ahead, I just can't see them being legitimate. The actual vote process may be within necessary parameters, but certainly many many people are going to be dissuaded from voting. Especially the Sunnis, who are expected to get a lashing anyway. Any good democracy must respect and protect the minority from majority tyrrany, but I fear a low turnout from a group who know they are going to lose.