‘How Many Iraqis Does It Take To Make A Democracy? Raa iT lain Reeve Columnist Tim Russert —“Do you believe this election will be seen by the world community as legiti- mate? John Kerry —‘“Uh, er, ub, a kind of legitima- cy. It’s hard to say something is legitimate when an entire portion of the country can't vote and wont vote.” Personally, I think the seemingly confused former presidential candidate is onto something here. Last week, a fellow writer from the Ubyssey regaled us with a tale of Naomi Klein’s visit to Vancouver to talk about democracy in Iraq. Miss Klein, who certainly has a thing or two to say about the developing world, made mention of some difficulties Iraq has had achieving democracy. She observed much of this on a recent trip to the embattled state. The things she saw were hardly the type of stuff you’d see on mainstream media, which has embarrassed Iraq’s first steps towards democracy. She spoke of city councils elected by Iraqis that were then disbanded by the US, of selling of Iraqi oil assets before a government was even created, of a US-drafted temporary con- stitution, and of the well-known interim government—also selected by US forces. Does this paint a grim picture for a bud- ding democracy, or are these necessary steps towards creating an Iraqi democra- cy? Let’s chat about it, children. First, let’s lay out some foundations. I am in favour of democracy in Iraq and all the freedoms that go along with it. I don’t support insurgency, and I don’t agree with killing of any kind. I do, however, think that Iraqis have every right to protest, as 30,000 strong did in Basra, to demand an Iraqi democracy, not an American democ- racy, for Iraq. It is my sincere hope that the Iraqis will have the final say in what type of government they create, who is elected, and what their constitution will look like. I do think this will occur to a degree. I also think, however, that it is inevitable that US values, US moral stan- dards, and certainly US foreign and economic policy will come to dominate Iraq’s future. They will make the wondrous changes from Saddam to Starbucks, oppression to oil revenue, fundamentalism to free-mar- ket capitalism. They will join the legions of developing countries that must beg for foreign investment from rich countries in hopes of feeding their people, and gaining access to wondrous western goods. Is this an improvement over totalitarianism? I would say so, but it probably isn’t what most Iraqis want. It seems unfortunate that so many countries in the world are forced to play the cards they are dealt one way or another. They either have to accept the will of a military dictator, or the will of a wasteful consumer society dictated to them from thousands of miles away. So, the big question arises: Was it worth it? Many on the left, after a couple of years of sending non-stop “I told you so’s” to the embattled US government, were faced with the possibility that maybe it was all worth it. I’m still not convinced. Sure, things will be better in a few years for the majority of Iraqis, but try telling that to the estimated 16—18,000 dead Iraqi civilians. I’m pretty sure that, given the choice, they would choose Saddam. A partial success in the form of a marginal- ly representative election does not outweigh the cost of human life. Two simple points still remain: firstly, other options are always available that do not lead to war—like, say, not supporting dictators like Saddam in the first place, and secondly, that the US government blatantly lied to its people about the rea- sons for invasion. The prospect of Iraqi democracy is nice, but their minimal con- trol and the thoughts of those who have died make it a less joyous occasion that perhaps it could have been. (SOONER) 8 | www.theotherpress.ca Complete your BSc in one or two years. Turn your science diploma into a degree through Royal Roads University. Learn with us and enhance your understanding of the connections between complex ecological, economic, and social issues. Our programs will develop your critical thinking and business insight, enhance leadership and management skills, and broaden social perspectives and community awareness. Two BSc options: Online or On Campus Our 24-month BSc in Environmental Management program combines short on-campus residencies with Internet-based distance learning. Starts May 2005 Our on-campus accelerated BSc in Environmental Science program allows you to complete year three and four of a conventional university degree program in just intensive 12 months. Starts September 2005 Contact us today for detailed information on existing transfer agreements with your college. Call toll-free in North America at 1-866-778-7272 or e-mail STE@royalroads.ca ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY Visit our website at www.royalroads.ca/ste March 2/2005