America Nervous As Militant Cleric's Rallies Attract Mass Support

The Telegraph ^ | 4-20-2003 | Julian Coman/Sean Rayment

[MattAMiller]

I'm not nervous, is anyone else nervous?

[John Lenin]

Nervous ? I'm fired up, lets take out Syria, yesterday !

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

I repeat. Wonder if "The People" of Iraq want a theocracy? I asked a question I did not make a statement.

[John Lenin]

I wonder if the Palestinians want Arafat. Think about it, bozzo.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Sigh. You never answered the question. Wonder if the Iraqi's vote in a theocracy?

[John Lenin]

You couldn't buy a clue if you had a million dollars.

[GunRunner]

A theocracy doesn't respect freedom of religion, therefore, its already ruled out. We didn't spend billions and sacrifice lives to let a theocratic minority take over in Iraq.

[GunRunner]

It would be same if the Germans had voted the Nazi party back in after WWII. We won't let it happen.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

But, but, but "Democracy" the rule of "the People." One man one vote. Dignity! Equality" No one answers the QUESTION. Wonder, if the "people" of Iraq vote in a theocracy?

[FreedomPoster]

Anyone who wants a democracy in Iraq has little understanding of the thought that went into the formation of the U.S.A.

"Democracy" was explicitly rejected as an acceptable form of government, with good reason.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

The analogy fails as we stayed in Germany. In fact we are still there as are the Brits and the Ruski's. Are we to stay in Iraq until they vote "right?" And if we leave and then they vote in a theocracy?

[Newbomb Turk]

Time to prepare operation occipital implant 308.

[daviddennis]

This situation seems very similar to International ANSWER here in the US.

Tens of thousands of people appear at ANSWER rallies.

This does not mean that the people of the US oppose the war. In fact, they support it by a commanding margin. But the opposition is extremely well organized, so they can come up with bodies and march impressively.

In this case in Iraq, the demonstraters are part of this guy's church, so he can control them. He's not going to get very far unless he has a clear majority - and there is plenty of support for secular government, which is what Iraq has had previously.

So I would be concerned by these developments, but it's not time to fly off the handle. The one thing I might recommend is that we somehow get the word out about how bad life is in theocratic countries. Get some Iranian dissidents to speak in Iraq and you'll set the theocratic movement back decades.

D

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

I agree with you. However, one generally uses the current buzz words. Note, none of the objectors to my post ever answered the simple question I asked.

[Wormwood]

To answer your question, if the Iraqi people decide that they want a theocracy, I imagine we would let them.

Regardless of the chest-thumping you often hear, the US Government is not going to publically start a war against Islam.

For better or worse.

If they don't vote in a theocracy, it isn't too hard to imagine years of terror until an ayatollah is swept up in a bloody, Iran-like revolution.

[GunRunner]

We stayed in Germany not so much as to make sure democracy "took" there, we stayed there as a safeguard against Soviet invasion. If there had not been a Soviet threat at the time, we wouldn't have stayed (IMO).

[GunRunner]

But, but, but "Democracy" the rule of "the People" respects all religions and their peoples' right to practice them. A theocracy doesn't.

Don't think for a second that we will not be involved in the drafting of an Iraqi constitution, which will respect the freedom of religion.

Get off of it lefty. There's no way we will let an Iranian style Islamic state take hold in Iraq, even if we happen to use non-democratic means to accomplish it. Did we put up the legislative power of the Emperor of Japan to a vote? No. We said, "You can keep your precious, Emperor, but only as a ceremonial position."

The same kind of mechanics will be in play here.

[GunRunner]

I disagree. There is no way that the Bush administration will let a theocracy take hold after the sacrifices we have made. It would all be in vain if such a thing happened.

[SauronOfMordor]

The problem in Iraq is a problem in most places where the main source of wealth is in control of natural resources (like oil) rather than in the productivity of the people.

The Iraqi mullahs know that if they manage to get control of the govt, then they will have personal control of the oil wealth, and will be able to use it to enrich themselves and the thugs that support him.