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The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: The Insurgency Buster
It's simply astounding that in the United States, the home of the greatest and most effective democratic revolution, so many people have come to regard democracy as a luxury-brand vehicle, suited only for the culturally upscale, when it's really a sturdy truck, effective in conditions both rough and smooth.
Posted by Tim at September 28, 2004 11:57 AMI think the trouble with Brooks's discussion is that he talks about choosing pure democracy over stability as though we're choosing between chocolate and vanilla ice cream. No additional costs. Just which flavor do you like?
But that doesn't make sense in Iraq. The question is how many more American soldiers should die (American soldiers will die because Bush has bungled the opportunity for a multilateral force) to attempt to get pure democracy?
Let me ask my Republican friends. Would you order the deaths of a thousand more American soldiers to attempt to get Iraqi elections? 5000 deaths? 10,000? What if your son was there, and it was likely your son would die to attempt to gain pure democracy, but would live if you only attempted Iraqi stability? How would you tell your wife about how important it was to get Iraqi democracy so you decided to risk your son's life?
Brooks is writing in his warm, plush New York office, and a large paycheck is on the way. He's sacrificed nothing---nothing at all---to choose democracy. Brave, moralizing words come easy at that price.
Posted by: Tom at September 28, 2004 09:36 PMSacred Stability was the goal throughout the Cold War.
Stability is still the mantra of the professional bureaucrats in the State Department.
Stability was why we propped up the Shah.
Stability was why we propped up Saddam against Iran.
Stability was why we left Saddam in power in '91.
Stability gave us the Mideast we have today.
Stability has now become a Liability.
Ken, so you're playing the same game David Brooks is playing. Tell us exactly how much you'll sacrifice for full democracy in Iraq. Are you going to volunteer for Iraq? Would you support a Cheney-Bush draft for full democracy? How many more boys should die? Will you send your son or daughter into Bush's quagmire?:
"...the Iraqi government doesn't control most Iraqi cities, there are several car bombs going off each day around the country killing and injuring scores of innocent people, the country's roads are becoming impassable and littered by hundreds of landmines and explosive devices aimed to kill American soldiers, there are assassinations, kidnappings and beheadings. The situation, basically, means a raging barbaric guerilla war. In four days, 110 people died and over 300 got injured in Baghdad alone. The numbers are so shocking that the ministry of health -- which was attempting an exercise of public transparency by releasing the numbers -- has now stopped disclosing them...."
Wall Street Journal reporter Farnaz Fassihi
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