Next?
: The American right and left are analyzing the Iraq vote on the wrong basis: It’s not about George Bush, pro or con. It’s not about America, pro or con. It’s not even about the war, pro or con. It’s about the Iraqi people and democracy and their future, for which there is only a pro, not a con.
But Hoder has a proper question in his post from the Iranian perspective:
On the one hand I’m really excited that Iraqi people have been able to start the path to a potentially democratic political system, on the other hand I’m really upset that this will embolden neoconservatives and will be seen as a confirmation of their dangerous plans for the world.
If the goal is democracy and freedom and human rights — and I do believe that is the goal that with which there is no good argument — then the proper question is: How? How are these goals achieved for fellow citizens of the world who do not enjoy enjoy these fundamental right? Is diplomacy sufficient? Is war justified? Are there alternatives? Does this first step toward democracy in Iraq put pressure on the rest of the Middle East? These are all the right questions to ask. It’s not about us, folks, it’s about the rest of the world.
