home
In Soviet Russia, blog reads you.
recent posts
Pat's Pancakes
1000 Words©
Kakistocracy©
Kakistocracy©
RIP Brock Peters
Click Here©
Puns
Kakistocracy©
Kakistocracy©
Fucking Awesome
CONTACT
ARCHIVES
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
Support Structure
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Sunday Morning
Sunday morning at some nice little Belgian breakfast place, and I've just heard the Sunni negotiators have rejected the draft constitution. Depressing way to start the day.
From the AP article, the Sunni negotiators are rejecting the Constitution because of the issues of federalism and because it mentions the Ba'ath party.
When it comes to federalism, the situation is rather fucked up. My particular wild guess (as good as anybody else's at this point) is that a powerful central government is a bad idea in Iraq; that a sort of Articles of Confederation would better serve the interests of stability. But because a Sunni state would have less oil money and influence than Kurdish and Shi'ite states, the Sunnis feel threatened by federalism. ("They feel threatened by everything," notes the boyfriend.)
But on the other hand, when I hear that the constitution mentions the Ba'ath party—banning it, I assume, though nowadays even the AP leaves something to be desired, journalism wise—I wonder how serious the Kurdish and Shi'ite delegations ever were about including the Sunnis in government. After all, the Kurds and Shi'ites dominate in parliament and can probably get a constitution passed in October's referendum without votes from the Sunni areas.
So that's what's wrong in Iraq today, August 28, 2005. Every time I try to end a post about Iraq with a few suggestions about how the US can help improve Iraq, I have to ask myself, "Why bother?" I think about the idea after idea flowing out of places like DemocracyArsenal and the few center-left think tanks, and then I think about the administration's uncanny ability to do precisely the wrong thing in Iraq at every juncture, and the President's determination to ignore all voices critical of him and his literal refusal to admit any mistakes...
I feel like I'm watching a train wreck. You see it coming, but you just have to sit there.
On the plus side, the breakfast was excellent, and my new wireless keyboard is awesome. Out waitress was from Northern Pakistan. ("Peshawar," David tells me, and then he spells it for me, too.) If you're in DC, check out the Belgian place on the bottom of the string of restaurants on 18th and Columbia. Contemplating a train wreck of a government and eating very good food. Welcome to D.C.
From the AP article, the Sunni negotiators are rejecting the Constitution because of the issues of federalism and because it mentions the Ba'ath party.
When it comes to federalism, the situation is rather fucked up. My particular wild guess (as good as anybody else's at this point) is that a powerful central government is a bad idea in Iraq; that a sort of Articles of Confederation would better serve the interests of stability. But because a Sunni state would have less oil money and influence than Kurdish and Shi'ite states, the Sunnis feel threatened by federalism. ("They feel threatened by everything," notes the boyfriend.)
But on the other hand, when I hear that the constitution mentions the Ba'ath party—banning it, I assume, though nowadays even the AP leaves something to be desired, journalism wise—I wonder how serious the Kurdish and Shi'ite delegations ever were about including the Sunnis in government. After all, the Kurds and Shi'ites dominate in parliament and can probably get a constitution passed in October's referendum without votes from the Sunni areas.
So that's what's wrong in Iraq today, August 28, 2005. Every time I try to end a post about Iraq with a few suggestions about how the US can help improve Iraq, I have to ask myself, "Why bother?" I think about the idea after idea flowing out of places like DemocracyArsenal and the few center-left think tanks, and then I think about the administration's uncanny ability to do precisely the wrong thing in Iraq at every juncture, and the President's determination to ignore all voices critical of him and his literal refusal to admit any mistakes...
I feel like I'm watching a train wreck. You see it coming, but you just have to sit there.
On the plus side, the breakfast was excellent, and my new wireless keyboard is awesome. Out waitress was from Northern Pakistan. ("Peshawar," David tells me, and then he spells it for me, too.) If you're in DC, check out the Belgian place on the bottom of the string of restaurants on 18th and Columbia. Contemplating a train wreck of a government and eating very good food. Welcome to D.C.
I don't think the Kurds and Shi'ites can pass the constitution without Sunni votes. It can be blocked by losing in three provinces (out of 18) and Sunnis are the majority in at least four provinces. I think I have that right, but correct me if I am mistaken. - GUY
Posted by@ 3:38 PM
"I feel like I'm watching a train wreck. You see it coming, but you just have to sit there." is very Orwellian phrasing. That is a HUGE compliment. GUY
Posted by
Very cool set-up with your computer/cell phone. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford would be proud! - Techie in Nerdopolis, UTPost a Comment
Posted by