Monday, January 31, 2005
Talking Points
A few days ago I posted an open letter to the opponents of the war in Iraq (see below). The reaction was mixed, and in the comments only one person who identified himself or herself as against the war took me up on my offer for one day of solidarity in support of peaceful, safe, elections in Iraq. Now, with the elections on the book and the "stunning" (to those who bought into the idea that the idea that terror conquers the desire for freedom) voter turnout a fact, the nay-sayers on the left are back at work, harder than ever.
I fear that this bodes poorly for the future of democracy in Iraq and the Middle East. If the media and elites of the world can not recognize the implications of the voter turnout in Iraq for what it is- an outright rejection of terror and tyranny- what hope is there that they will support the people of Iraq in the hard work that is yet to be done? Never mind the fact that a good deal of those on the Euro-left may have benefited from the elections today.
In light of this trend I have put together the following "talking points" as they are called in the colloquialism of the State Department. They are in the format of argument by opposition and suggested response:
Argument: The election was a fraud because of the security situation in Iraq.
Response: A larger percentage of Iraqi voters turned out than did American in the last election. Faced with the possibility of car bombs, snipers and other acts of aggression Iraqis took to the polls and voted for a positive tomorrow. Faced with missing Oprah or standing in line without a snack more than 40% of American voters stayed home and missed one of the most important elections in recent American history. Considering that many believe these were the two most important elections in the history of either country I'd say Iraq comes out on top.
Argument: Without Sunni participation the results are meaningless.
Response: The Sunni minority had long oppressed the Shia and Kurds in Iraq, similar to the situation that existed in South Africa with apartheid. Had white voters in SA not voted in the elections after apartheid would the elections that placed Nelson Mandela in power have been meaningless? I doubt the ivory-tower crowd would have worried over that situation, and I see no difference here. (Note- I found this idea on the web somewhere, and now don't remember where, if anyone has seen it let me know and I'll give credit where due.)
Argument: The newly elected government will not be able to agree among themselves to write a constitution.
Response: No thinking person expects a perfect document to emerge from this effort. Groundwork has already been laid for inclusion of Islam, and the approval process for the constitution allows for the minority Sunni to have sufficient sway to block a document that is not inclusive, and it appears they plan to participate in the process. A solid document with the ability to grow, and more importantly with the backing of the people, will suffice to help Iraq regain her place in the world while protecting her people.
Of course these discussions will only work with the more rational folks who oppose the war. Other arguments that will emerge are sure to be over the actual number of voters, the parties that win seats, hanging chads, color blind individuals who could not see the purple on their finger, etc. There will always be well reasoned arguments against the invasion and the war, and there will always be moonbats. Ignore the moonbats and engage the well reasoned. Please feel free to post any other counter arguments you may have in the comments section.
This post is dedicated to all the men and women of the coalition forces who have died in Iraq. Yesterday millions of Iraqis turned out to vote in a historic election- the first of many steps that will in the end lead to the establishment of a truly free democracy in the region. For the men and women fighting in Iraq I can only imagine the emotion of the moment. For the families of those who have been killed there, I hope the elections brought some small solace. I would encourage everyone to read this article about Francis Obaji who was killed in Iraq a short time ago, and what the election meant to his family.
1/31/2005 01:33:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche
I fear that this bodes poorly for the future of democracy in Iraq and the Middle East. If the media and elites of the world can not recognize the implications of the voter turnout in Iraq for what it is- an outright rejection of terror and tyranny- what hope is there that they will support the people of Iraq in the hard work that is yet to be done? Never mind the fact that a good deal of those on the Euro-left may have benefited from the elections today.
In light of this trend I have put together the following "talking points" as they are called in the colloquialism of the State Department. They are in the format of argument by opposition and suggested response:
Argument: The election was a fraud because of the security situation in Iraq.
Response: A larger percentage of Iraqi voters turned out than did American in the last election. Faced with the possibility of car bombs, snipers and other acts of aggression Iraqis took to the polls and voted for a positive tomorrow. Faced with missing Oprah or standing in line without a snack more than 40% of American voters stayed home and missed one of the most important elections in recent American history. Considering that many believe these were the two most important elections in the history of either country I'd say Iraq comes out on top.
Argument: Without Sunni participation the results are meaningless.
Response: The Sunni minority had long oppressed the Shia and Kurds in Iraq, similar to the situation that existed in South Africa with apartheid. Had white voters in SA not voted in the elections after apartheid would the elections that placed Nelson Mandela in power have been meaningless? I doubt the ivory-tower crowd would have worried over that situation, and I see no difference here. (Note- I found this idea on the web somewhere, and now don't remember where, if anyone has seen it let me know and I'll give credit where due.)
Argument: The newly elected government will not be able to agree among themselves to write a constitution.
Response: No thinking person expects a perfect document to emerge from this effort. Groundwork has already been laid for inclusion of Islam, and the approval process for the constitution allows for the minority Sunni to have sufficient sway to block a document that is not inclusive, and it appears they plan to participate in the process. A solid document with the ability to grow, and more importantly with the backing of the people, will suffice to help Iraq regain her place in the world while protecting her people.
Of course these discussions will only work with the more rational folks who oppose the war. Other arguments that will emerge are sure to be over the actual number of voters, the parties that win seats, hanging chads, color blind individuals who could not see the purple on their finger, etc. There will always be well reasoned arguments against the invasion and the war, and there will always be moonbats. Ignore the moonbats and engage the well reasoned. Please feel free to post any other counter arguments you may have in the comments section.
This post is dedicated to all the men and women of the coalition forces who have died in Iraq. Yesterday millions of Iraqis turned out to vote in a historic election- the first of many steps that will in the end lead to the establishment of a truly free democracy in the region. For the men and women fighting in Iraq I can only imagine the emotion of the moment. For the families of those who have been killed there, I hope the elections brought some small solace. I would encourage everyone to read this article about Francis Obaji who was killed in Iraq a short time ago, and what the election meant to his family.
