2006 28
Should I Stay or Should I Go: US in Iraq
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in New Ideas with No Comments
I think that it´s time that United States learns from the way anti American pseudo democrats are dealing with democracy to suit their own political objectives. Democratically elected leader Ahmadinejad is a master at getting Iranian voters to back him in his anti American agenda. So why doesn´t America use the same method to legitimize the Iraqi invasion?
I think USA should run the Should I stay or Should I go referendum in Iraq. Instead of having yet another meeting to discuss in Washington what should happen in Iraq, USA should ask the Iraqi people what they want them to do in Iraq.
I envision a very concrete referendum, something like, “should we pull out by April 1st or stay another year to help Iraq democracy succeed?” If the majority asks America to stay another year, then the invasion is legitimized. If, instead, they ask America to leave, then America says “mission accomplished, when we came Iraq was led by a genocidal dictator, we brought this dictator to justice, established the principles of democracy and now we leave”. And America will save thousands of lives and billions of dollars.
Follow Martin Varsavsky on Twitter: twitter.com/martinvars
No Comments
Martin Varsavsky on December 29, 2006 ·
Personally, I think that something close to what happened in Lebanon will take place if the Americans leave and that is that confronted with the horror of mass destruction the Iraqis will stop fighting as the Lebanese did.
Elliott on December 29, 2006 ·
Before one has a system of democracy where the majority rules, one must have a well-informed population imbued with morality and ethics. Otherwise, if one poses the question, “Should we evict all the Sunnis?” the overwhelming majority of the Shiites might vote for it. Voting is much easier than blowing up your old cars in the midst of Sunnis and/or Sunni sites. The majority [or the most powerful] is not always right. That is why we have a system with a free press and with courts to monitor and possibly overturn the rule of the majority.
BTW, the sand sculptor would do very well at the annual Narragansett, Rhode Island sand sculpture tournament.
Martin Varsavsky on December 30, 2006 ·
I agree, but the referendum could also take that into account and tally results per group. Maybe both the Sunnis and the Shias want the USA out, maybe they don´t.
andrew jones on December 31, 2006 ·
I actually agree that a referendum in Iraq would be a great idea. Apparently a lot of Iraqis didn’t like the iraq study report. Anyway, “Democratically elected leader Ahmadinejad is a master at getting Iranian voters to back him in his anti American agenda” actually this isn’t quite the case. The Iranian party that Ahmadinejad is part of had a different candiate running for president, but they then switched their presidential candiate with 5 days notice. Hence many Iranians went to the polls thinking that their pres was in fact more moderate and Iranians have consistently voted for more moderate folks since then. I might add the pres doesn’t really run iran, but the supreme leader / ayatollah who hasn’t changed in awhile.
Hernán L. Romay on January 3, 2007 ·
Guys, 3+ years of war made you forget the real reason for the American invasion in Iraq?
It was never meant to free anybody or to establish a democracy anywhere. It was all about oil and petrodollars!
Saddam stood up and show his courage or mental illness (you choose how to call it) by switching from dollars to euros as the preferred exchange currency for oil barrels. That is said to be the main reason for the invasion, although we don´t hear much about it…
A poll would only give politicians more ideas or ways to cover their rear ends and save their faces.
I´m sorry I can criticize a lot and provide not solutions, but that´s how I see it. It´s a pointless war, as far as the world wellbeing is concerned, but it´s totally senseful for the US to continue to destroy the region, thus making it easier to conquer.
One thing to remark on the news these days, Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, will present before the General Assembly at the UN, a project to delay all executions worldwide. That is positive thinking!
paul lechner on January 26, 2007 ·
I don’t pretend to know about the reasons behind the reason of politicking but I think this is the best idea I’ve heard in a long time. Talk about cutting to the chase! It’s the people that have to be involved anyway.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Antoin O Lachtnain on December 29, 2006 ·
The problem (well one problem) is that Iraq isn’t really one country, it’s made up of at least three minorities. If you had such a vote, quite likely there would be a majority within one minority or even two that would want to keep the Americans there.
It’s too late to go back and close the Pandora’s Box now. If the Americans set a timetable to go, what do you think would happen next? I would be afraid that the whole thing would collapse into deeper civil war and this in turn would make the whole region even less stable.
Not that having them stay is a very attractive option either.