Another Hope for the Iraqis
After all the diplomatic dancing is finally finished, and after the US and its allies depose Saddam, what will become of the Iraqi people? Many people on the Left seem to have the "soft bigotry of low expectations" because they do not believe an Arabian democracy is possible. Not only is this racist argument, it is a familiar one. After WWII, our grandparents were partaking in similar discussions. It is impossible for the Japanase people to form a democracy, after all they worship an emperor. And don't even think about giving democracy another chance in Germany - they elected Hitler. Obviously these arguments were wrong. Likewise the arguments against a democratic Iraq are also flawed.
Some of my friends on the Right frequently challenge me to come up with just one thing Clinton did right as president. Actually, I think Clinton accomplished several good things including saving the Muslims in Kosovo. It should be noted that the UN and Europe dithered around on this while Muslims were being slaughtered just as the UN and parts of Europe (France, Germany, and Belgium) do everything they can to keep Saddam in power despite his brutal oppression of the Iraqi people. Fortunately, President Clinton ignored the UN and intervened. The freed Kosovars are now undergoing the difficult process of creating a nation with the help of the UN (one of the places where the UN can actually be helpful). It is wonderful to see that these people have the character to refuse unwanted help, the desire to build a civilized nation, and are thankful to the US for their liberation.
Unlike Bosnia, another Muslim and former Yugoslav republic, Kosovars have refused offers from Saudis to build mosques and madrassas -- Islamic Koranic schools, demanding instead that the money be allocated toward building hospitals, secular education facilities and "more useful institutions." Kosovars have also strongly resisted offers from Islamic groups to "behave in more Islamic ways," such as the demand that women adopt the traditional Islamic veil, or that men grow beards, as some Wahhabi groups have tried to impose on Kosovars, according to OSCE officials.Why would the people of Iraq be any different? Indeed, their complaints will probably be on the lines of "What took you so long? Why didn't you do this 12 years ago?" But future Iraqi-American relations should be very positive. I wonder what the Iraqis will tell those who tried to stop their liberation?For that matter, nowhere is the United States more popular than in Kosovo, where Americans are seen as heroes, having saved them from the grips of Milosevic's repressive policies. A huge painting depicting Kosovo's newest hero -- former U.S. President Bill Clinton -- covers the entire facade of a tall apartment building in the center of town. The building is situated on the boulevard bearing the name of the former American president, a testimony to the support, gratitude and admiration Kosovars have for the United States. "When the World Trade Center towers collapsed, we felt that we were being attacked," said a Kosovar journalist. "We lit candles and we cried with America."
