Quote:
Originally posted by roachboy
not sure what you mean by "perception is huge, even for the iraqis"---explain more?
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Perception being that Iraq is a supposed template for democracy throughout the mid east and in some ways the model ( or again supposed model) of a/the mid east future of coerced democratization.
The Iraqi's have to embrace democracy, which I think they want, but democracy has a price, especially regarding and dealing with the rest of the mid east. Up until a couple of years ago, no one cared about Iraq. Now they are under a microscope and everything they do, in the short term is scrutinized. I can understand them wanting to exercise their new freedom with the Saddam case, but I don't know how this case democratically speaking will be defined.
If the U.S pushes for further democratizations as warranted by them through the mid east, the Iraq model will be critically debated as to its successes and failures which I think in the end, the idea of an all encompassing mid east democracy will be rendered moot since the perception may be, 'damned if you do, damned if you don't.' But maybe not.