Something tells me it is going to be a very bloody weekend in Iraq. But I’m thinking that the elections will still go through despite the bombs and shootings that will occur, despite that some folks are boycotting it, and some will be too scared to go outside. Some old Iraqi guy said that he knows that the chances of his seeing freedom and democracy in Iraq in his lifetime were slim, but that it wasn’t about him, it was about his grandchildren. Wow.
I also read that something like 76% of eligible voters will vote. Nice, when the US had a record turnout at like 56% in November.
I don’t think this vote will make or break Iraq, it is just the very first, or second, very painful step into the free-er world. The other middle eastern peoples will be watching this and thinking…hmm, not so bad…maybe we SHOULD try changing things here as well, despite the costs.
I’m a democrat, with a small “d.” And I’m sure there will be a lot more small “d” democrats born this weekend.
Yes Broon Ale, it’s all about Bush isn’t it. None of this has anything to do with the Iraqi people. I know. I watch the BBC. I know what this is really about. Sad. Very very sad. No. Pathetic. Deeply pathetic.
this weekend will be pretty historic. it’s a shame the only people who are excited by the possibilities of democracy in the middle east are conservatives. too many liberals who should be cheering this event are going to spend their time doing as much as they can to delegitimize it.
Defining “the free world” would certainly involve a certain degree of subjective judgement. All the same, there are a fair number of nations that have a right to say that they tried to make things better.
I suppose when one thinks of the coalition, one generally thinks of the US and the EU (well, a majority of the EU). But we also should not leave out other nations like Japan, South Korea, and Australia – all certainly important “free world” countries by any measure.
Back in blighty for a CNY break and have been watching and listening to the beeb. Their reports seem fairly reasonable to me, talking about the security issues but also often highlighting the degree of determination amongst many ordinary Iraqis to vote no matter what the cost, and their hope for a truly democratic Iraq. Let’s all hope for a positive outcome.
fox here in the states is advertising round the clock coverage of the vote this weekend. not sure if any of the other news networks are going to do the same.
fox here in the states is advertising round the clock coverage of the vote this weekend. not sure if any of the other news networks are going to do the same.[/quote]
Well, if Fox are having wall to wall coverage, they must be expecting lots of blood and gore and loud explosions. They certainly know their audience. These Iraqi elections may (and Fox could be banking on this) the same morbid fascination as a gladiatorial contest in the Colliseum. More violence = more entertainment = higher ratings.
those who say they care about what iraqis themselves want might want to read these articles(and those later on when voting in iraq starts) to see how the iraqis react to this vote.
[quote=“Flipper”][quote=“BroonAle”][quote=“Flipper”]was it that long ago that American news media was criticized for NOT showing the blood and gore of Iraq?
it’s a historic event in the middle east. certainly deserving of coverage, in my opinion[/quote]
I agree. But I suspect that Fox wants lots of blood and gore and they will sensationalize it.
BroonAmputee[/quote]
but they haven’t sensationalized all the other gore. in fact, they’ve been criticized for sanitizing it.[/quote]
They’re just waiting for their moment. I cannot believe that a tawdry news network like Fox wants to put over any positive democratic values. They are counting on chaos as who would want to sit through all day coverage of people queuing and stuffing ballot boxes at various locations?
“This is Troy McClure of Fox news reporting on nothing really much and now I hand over to Troyette McClure LIVE at polling station XYZ where similarly nothing much is happening either”
Nah, no ratings in that; half of Oklahoma would fall asleep.
If you had a more nuanced understanding of the Republican psyche you would be having such trouble reconciling this apparent contradiction, Flipper.
Consider, for example, the possibility that the folks at Fox probably do “want lots of blood and gore” (because, being Republicans, they rejoice in violence and enjoy watching the innocent suffer) but that they restrain their enthusiasm for such suffering, and refuse to show it on their network, because, being Republicans, they abhor honesty and see the dissemination of lies and propaganda as a goal in and of itself.
:bravo: