:: The Rational Radical Blog ::

Saturday, June 11, 2005

What Kind of Democracy for Iraq the Bushians Originally Had in Mind

Rather than encouraging elections after the fall of Saddam, the Bush Administration hired a North Carolina company called Research Triangle International (RTI) to appoint new political leaders for the country.

For the princely fee of $427 million dollars, RTI implemented a policy they called (and this is not a joke) "selections not elections." They would invite everyone in a particular community to attend a meeting. At the meeting, the company would pick the new government making sure to reserve a specific number of seats to Iraqis from each of the country's major ethnic and religious groups - Sunni Arab, Shia Arab, Turcoman, Kurd, and Assyrian/Caldenian Christian.

Under RTI, Iraqis were required to organize on the basis on their ethnic and religious background.

Imagine, if a similar plan were implemented in one of America's more diverse cities. Imagine if a foreign company came to San Francisco to pick a new government and said: "Okay, we need 8 white heterosexuals, 5 gays, 5 Asians, 3 African-Americans, and 3 Latinos." People in San Francisco would have no choice but to organize on the basis of their race rather than ideology. Is it any wonder, then, that after this January's election Iraqis organized themselves on sectarian grounds?

Only after Sistani threatened them did the Bushians relent and allow elections to take place. Tell your right-wing pals this the next time they say we are spreading "democracy" around the world.

Jack Clark 4:52 PM [+]   
Post #111853392127579394