"Democracy by the Dozens" - Commentary by Tony Seton

Democracy by the Dozens

There’s been significant disquietude in both the domestic and foreign press over the inaugural address by The Bush Boy. Ya gotta think that he might have simply palavered his way along about the wonderful intentions of the God-blessed America and how we are doing right because that’s our birthright.

The problem was that he sounded like he was ready to launch a religio-political crusade against any and all who disagreed with him and/or who had oil or something else we want. Ironic, isn’t it, that he terrorized the planet through his dozens of references to democracy and freedom? But considering his first administration it’s no wonder those words provoked alarm.

Sunday is the Iraq election and almost no one feels good about it. Except maybe the Iraqi ex-pats who are safely registering to vote abroad. In country, psycho-terrorists are slaughtering local police and military by the dozens. Executing them. Dozens of pollworkers and politicians have also been murdered. Hardly an effective get-out-the-vote campaign.

Since we couldn’t trust the vote count in Ohio, where in some precincts the turnout exceeded the number of registereds, it’s not bloody likely the numbers in Iraq will be worth the blood they’re printed with. Whoever wins. However many vote. Whatever they say. The Kurds are going to hold onto their northern territory. The Shia are going to claim victory. The Sunnis, who have mostly pulled out of the game, are going to scoff at the Shia.

Who cares, right? Um, not the American people, who have mostly withdrawn their attention since the U.S. formally handed over the faux reins of government last June and fled. Except for the military families. Those whose relatives are still on the ground, hoping that the daily dozens of attacks on our men and women in uniform don’t send their particular loved ones home in a box, or alive but in pieces.

The sordid lynchpin has been that if they don’t continue to back the IraqAttaq, they believe their losses will have been in vain. In truth, the only way those deaths shall not have been in vain is if they find the integrity to rise up against the continued insanity and, demand that our troops be brought home so that their grievous losses shall not have to be endured by others.

That’s not on the ballot in Iraq, of course, but it was in November.

And that’s SetonnoteS...I’m Tony Seton.