The Kinetic Elite and the Pacifist Left
The elections in Iraq are only a week away and the Kinetic Elite (a lovely term for the globetrotting set of UN administrators, International Relations 'experts' and Foreign Service Diplomats) are panicing. Why do I say this? Well, you may remember that as recently as December, senior UN diplomats were saying that it would be impossible to hold elections in January. Now that the elections are going ahead, and polls suggest a turnout of upto 80%, the posture has changed. The new line is that no matter how good the turnout and regardless of any mandate given to a popularly elected government, the elections will be a failure. Why? Because a lack of international monitoring will render them open to question.
This argument would lead us to question the usefulness of the vast majority of elections ever held in the Western world. Was George Washington's inauguration legitimate? However even if we accept that today, elections can only be held pending the Kinetic Elite's stamp of approval, the position is still absurd. No doubt questions will arise regarding aspects of the Iraqi elections - and given the ferocity of the Arab rumour mill, they will receive wide circulation. But these elections mark only the first stage in the road to Iraq's transformation to democracy. As stumbling a step as this might be, its a landmark for a people who lived more than forty years under Baathist tyranny.
Opposition to the invasion also came from the less sophisticated 'pacifist' left. I remember asking a co-worker why he opposed the plan to depose Hussein. 'Because war is bad', came back the answer. Tom Frank of the National Review (thanks Victor!) reports the updated position of the anti-war warriors. At a meeting sponsored by the International Socialist Organization, he writers that
This argument would lead us to question the usefulness of the vast majority of elections ever held in the Western world. Was George Washington's inauguration legitimate? However even if we accept that today, elections can only be held pending the Kinetic Elite's stamp of approval, the position is still absurd. No doubt questions will arise regarding aspects of the Iraqi elections - and given the ferocity of the Arab rumour mill, they will receive wide circulation. But these elections mark only the first stage in the road to Iraq's transformation to democracy. As stumbling a step as this might be, its a landmark for a people who lived more than forty years under Baathist tyranny.
Opposition to the invasion also came from the less sophisticated 'pacifist' left. I remember asking a co-worker why he opposed the plan to depose Hussein. 'Because war is bad', came back the answer. Tom Frank of the National Review (thanks Victor!) reports the updated position of the anti-war warriors. At a meeting sponsored by the International Socialist Organization, he writers that
Former soldier Stan Goff (supposedly of the Delta Force, Rangers, and Special Forces) spoke at length about the evils of capitalism and declared, "We ain't never resolved nothing through an election."Yes, war is bad... elections are useless - what we really need is a nice five year plan.
- sheikh X at 4:38 PM
1 Comments:
so you think that you have to be either an idiot or a elitist to be against the war? what about those of us that dont think its worth killing iraqis and american soldiers just to get our hands on more oil?
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