Friday, March 19, 2004

Dream on, Juan

Juan Cole, Middle East historian and watcher of current affairs in Iraq, posted yesterday about the interim council that is supposed to be taking over governing the country this summer until elections can be held.

I am disturbed at the list given, of "technocrats, businessmen and tribal chiefs." That's the closest the Iraqis come to a bourgeoisie. Why should such a conservative and unrepresentative group be given power (and a good platform for running for the subsequent election)? Why not include labor leaders? Is there a farmers' association of any sort? I hope that the commission that forms the transitional government can manage to dump the expatriate politicians with no real grass roots in Iraq, such as Ahmad Chalabi and Iyad Alawi.


Juan, I know you are not naive.

Labor leaders? Farmers association? Permitted to have a voice? Only in despotic countries like Venezuela. And only then until we can get rid of Chavez.

Why should a conservative and unrepresentative group be given power? I don't know. Maybe we can find out if we ask why LaTortue's regime has been set up in Haiti.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

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