DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ

I don't care about Iraq's democracy.

I don't trust it,

I don't like the lives lost, the money gone, in order to achieve this (important? ) change.

Skimming the good things, I keep reading about bad things.

Fraud was 40% in the first election. In this second election. it's estimated at (oh goody) 20%.

But the Sunni guy who opposes Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's gang (they call it his "coalition") thinks there's an élite counter-terrorism gang run by Nouri al-Maliki.

"It's totally political," whispers an aide. "If the Prime minister's a terrorist, why didn't they get him before he was elected?"

Oh? So who is "they?" I guess "they" is the power behind the power, the guys who make the decisions, but "they" seems to be some hidden group (coalition?) with NO names.

Mmm ... That's sort of, kind of, hard to applaud.

Anyhow, Bush set up "troops to be out end of August." Obama set up 50,000 support troops to be out by 2011.

Oh goody?

Vice President Biden said, "Democratic Iraq will be one of our great achievements."

Boo! I admire Biden, but boo! Is this achievement worth the death of Americans, the blotches of poverty that we have throughout the United States, because money we spent over there was money we needed to spend here?

I read somewhere that Iraq has 6,000 candidates for 325 seats in their parliament, and some 86 parties are taking part in the election. If that's good news, a hopeful sign, than I am a -- a dumb jerk?

(Well, maybe I am.)

Meanwhile,. U.S. soldiers are there. What's going to happen when they're gone?

Chalabi, an anti-Saddam guy we've supported, is gaining stature. Is that good or bad, and do I care? I'm worried about anti-Obama guys killing hope in America.

Joe Biden is an optimist. Others, who are delighted by the progress in Iraq, have their fingers crossed.

My fingers are crossed for us. Will we become the united, United States again soon?