So I have to say that the simple fact that the Iraqis held an election and it got as little publicity as it did is a good thing. Sure the reports that did come out focused on the bombings, but if it had gone poorly they all would have piled on. Creaky and messy and still fragile, but it's a bouncing baby democracy. Congratulations to all who had a hand in making that so. Here is a boots on the ground and celebratory bullets raining down report from Bill over at The Donovan's. Right at sunset, after the polls closed over here, the mezzuins started in. They were chanting the same prayers, but the rhythm was subtly different -- they were almost *singing* the prayers, and there were half-heard, half-imagined undertones of music in the background. They were *happy*. I never heard happy calls to prayer before, even in Bosnia during Bajram, which is the Bosnian four-day equivalent of Christmas. Since it's way too early for the election results to be known, there could only have been one thing for them to be happy about -- the fact that there *was* an election, and they voted for whomever they chose, without a diktat from the central government, and without fear that someone would inform on the neighborhood enforcers that they hadn't voted the Party line. They voted for the candidate of *their* choosing.
Read the complete post at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blackfive/~3/Y_T9mF0sjOw/an-election-in-iraq-who-knew.html
Posted
Mar 07 2010, 10:46 PM
by
BLACKFIVE