A great day for Iraq

January 30, 2005.

50, 40, maybe even 20 years from now, January 30th will be just like any other day on the calendar. Unless it's our birthday, anniversary, or any other special moment in our lives, we have no reason to mark this date down in our calendars.

Not us.

But a certain people in this country, a little smaller than Texas, half way around the world.....they do. Iraq. A country whose people want what everyone wants. Freedom.
During and following WW2 the people of this country went through alot desperately hoping for a new and better life. Monoarchy failed because of this hope. Unfortunately, the Republic of Iraq was short lived and soon the country slipped into dictatorship....many if not most died never seeing their dream of a free Iraq.

But on January 30, 2005....that dream is alive again!
Many, for their own selfish reasons, have tried to stop the people and have tried to ruin this great day. But they have failed. The people of Iraq have braved gunfire and bombs and for what?
For one purple finger.
That one purple finger is a bigger slap in the face of those who oppose this step toward freedom than any coalition gun or bomb can cause.
On January 30th, the people of Iraq voted.
Big deal?
Nope.
Not to us. But that's because we're not Iraqi. We can't even begin to comprehend what this means to the people of Iraq. But to the Iraqis this day will be marked forever in their history.

How we got to this point will be discussed and disputed for years, but....we're here......we're at this point. That's not going to change.
Was everything perfect?
No. Nothing ever is.
But it's a step...a huge step in the right direction.
Nothing is ever easy, and Iraq becoming the country the people want it to be will not be an easy task. However, after nearly 50 years they have started that process!! It can and WILL only get better.




RIP all those who died never seeing this day.

Hey! What is up? Yes, I do believe it is a great day for the people in Iraq! What a way to come back to ATS, I had to come back and review who said what on this vote. I was on vacation for awhile. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhoooooooooooooooooooooo!
Next stop, keep plugging away until they are ready to take complete control. Wow! I love Iraqis'. Tough people, but you have to admitt they had to endure such hardship for years. Now, keep going and no turning back.
Nothing is done over night like some people want it to be. Boy this broke the ice. Even the President was surprised by the percentage of the outcome. Break out the beer.
I know it will still be a long road but damn keep it rolling.
Glad to see you are still here thatsjustweird. See ya later on the boards.

PolarBearExpress

Welcome back

Nothing is done over night like some people want it to be. Boy this broke the ice. Even the President was surprised by the percentage of the outcome. Break out the beer.
I know it will still be a long road but damn keep it rolling.

Yep, this is definately a process and will take some time, but too many people (not Iraqis) are so shortsighted.
Alot of people (not Iraqis) are waiting for this to fail instead of wishing for the best. Sad really.


Anyway, see you around PBE

Thanks. See around the boards.

PolarBearExpress..........

Sorry to interrupt your circle jerk here, fellas, but we're in day 2 of Iraq's Golden Age.

Suddenly things are going to turn around overnight? Just because a person votes means that life is suddenly going to be perfect?

What are you basing this conjecture on? What you hear from your lying government? Haha, joke's on you.

www.guardian.co.uk...

The Vietnam turnout was good as well

No amount of spin can conceal Iraqis' hostility to US occupation

Sami Ramadani
Tuesday February 1, 2005
The Guardian

...

With the past few days' avalanche of spin, you could be forgiven for thinking that on January 30 2005 the US-led occupation of Iraq ended and the people won their freedom and democratic rights. This has been a multi-layered campaign, reminiscent of the pre-war WMD frenzy and fantasies about the flowers Iraqis were collecting to throw at the invasion forces. How you could square the words democracy, free and fair with the brutal reality of occupation, martial law, a US-appointed election commission and secret candidates has rarely been allowed to get in the way of the hype.

If truth is the first casualty of war, reliable numbers must be the first casualty of an occupation-controlled election. The second layer of spin has been designed to convince us that an overwhelming majority of Iraqis participated. The initial claim of 72% having voted was quickly downgraded to 57% of those registered to vote. So what percentage of the adult population is registered to vote? The Iraqi ambassador in London was unable to enlighten me. In fact, as UN sources confirm, there has been no registration or published list of electors - all we are told is that about 14 million people were entitled to vote.

...George Bush and Tony Blair made heroic speeches on Sunday implying that Iraqis had voted to approve the occupation. Those who insist that the US is desperate for an exit strategy are misreading its intentions. The facts on the ground, including the construction of massive military bases in Iraq, indicate that the US is digging in to install and back a long-term puppet regime. For this reason, the US-led presence will continue, with all that entails in terms of bloodshed and destruction.

In the run-up to the poll, much of the western media presented it as a high-noon shootout between the terrorist Zarqawi and the Iraqi people, with the occupation forces doing their best to enable the people to defeat the fiendish, one-legged Jordanian murderer. In reality, Zarqawi-style sectarian violence is not only condemned by Iraqis across the political spectrum, including supporters of the resistance, but is widely seen as having had a blind eye turned to it by the occupation authorities. Such attitudes are dismissed by outsiders, but the record of John Negroponte, the US ambassador in Baghdad, of backing terror gangs in central America in the 80s has fuelled these fears, as has Seymour Hirsh's reports on the Pentagon's assassination squads and enthusiasm for the "Salvador option".

If you believe someone who you KNOW has lied to you in the past (many times, I might add), then you are a sucker.

Wait a few weeks or months and then you can come back to me and tell me what you think about what the elections did.


jako

Originally posted by Jakomo

Sorry to interrupt your circle jerk here, fellas, but we're in day 2 of Iraq's Golden Age.

Suddenly things are going to turn around overnight? Just because a person votes means that life is suddenly going to be perfect?

What are you basing this conjecture on? What you hear from your lying government? Haha, joke's on you.

www.guardian.co.uk...

The Vietnam turnout was good as well

No amount of spin can conceal Iraqis' hostility to US occupation

Sami Ramadani
Tuesday February 1, 2005
The Guardian

...

With the past few days' avalanche of spin, you could be forgiven for thinking that on January 30 2005 the US-led occupation of Iraq ended and the people won their freedom and democratic rights. This has been a multi-layered campaign, reminiscent of the pre-war WMD frenzy and fantasies about the flowers Iraqis were collecting to throw at the invasion forces. How you could square the words democracy, free and fair with the brutal reality of occupation, martial law, a US-appointed election commission and secret candidates has rarely been allowed to get in the way of the hype.

If truth is the first casualty of war, reliable numbers must be the first casualty of an occupation-controlled election. The second layer of spin has been designed to convince us that an overwhelming majority of Iraqis participated. The initial claim of 72% having voted was quickly downgraded to 57% of those registered to vote. So what percentage of the adult population is registered to vote? The Iraqi ambassador in London was unable to enlighten me. In fact, as UN sources confirm, there has been no registration or published list of electors - all we are told is that about 14 million people were entitled to vote.

...George Bush and Tony Blair made heroic speeches on Sunday implying that Iraqis had voted to approve the occupation. Those who insist that the US is desperate for an exit strategy are misreading its intentions. The facts on the ground, including the construction of massive military bases in Iraq, indicate that the US is digging in to install and back a long-term puppet regime. For this reason, the US-led presence will continue, with all that entails in terms of bloodshed and destruction.

In the run-up to the poll, much of the western media presented it as a high-noon shootout between the terrorist Zarqawi and the Iraqi people, with the occupation forces doing their best to enable the people to defeat the fiendish, one-legged Jordanian murderer. In reality, Zarqawi-style sectarian violence is not only condemned by Iraqis across the political spectrum, including supporters of the resistance, but is widely seen as having had a blind eye turned to it by the occupation authorities. Such attitudes are dismissed by outsiders, but the record of John Negroponte, the US ambassador in Baghdad, of backing terror gangs in central America in the 80s has fuelled these fears, as has Seymour Hirsh's reports on the Pentagon's assassination squads and enthusiasm for the "Salvador option".

If you believe someone who you KNOW has lied to you in the past (many times, I might add), then you are a sucker.

Wait a few weeks or months and then you can come back to me and tell me what you think about what the elections did.


jako

Well, jako-wako, how are you doing? Read something that gave you goose bumps, or is it a rash? Hummmmmm, I do not think anyone here said it was smooth sailing after the election in Iraq. You just didn't read our posts here, liberals due assume before reading others comments.
Misinformed on the true Iraqis on US. This has been seen of the Guardian, noted, and burned at the fireplace. Sorry, I do not share in your view. I think we have to wait to see what happens, but you all ready decided on the outcome. Was it based on educated guess, or your crystal ball? I understand your Government does a lot of lying themselves.

[edit on 1-2-2005 by PolarBearExpress]

Originally posted by Jakomo
Sorry to interrupt your circle jerk here, fellas, but we're in day 2 of Iraq's Golden Age.

I think it's a White House sponsored circle jerk. They're becoming a little too commonplace.

Peace

Originally posted by Jakomo
Sorry to interrupt your circle jerk here, fellas, but we're in day 2 of Iraq's Golden Age.

Suddenly things are going to turn around overnight? Just because a person votes means that life is suddenly going to be perfect?

What are you basing this conjecture on? What you hear from your lying government? Haha, joke's on you.

Please note it's usually good to read the posts before commenting on them.

Actual quotes from our posts:

But it's a step...a huge step in the right direction.
Nothing is ever easy, and Iraq becoming the country the people want it to be will not be an easy task.

Nothing is done over night like some people want it to be.

Yep, this is definately a process and will take some time

Reading is fun. Don't be scared to read.


Also -

Jacko:

Wait a few weeks or months and then you can come back to me and tell me what you think about what the elections did.

Me:

Alot of people (not Iraqis) are waiting for this to fail instead of wishing for the best. Sad really.

I hate being right on stuff like that....

Cool it Dr. Love!!!.........Don't blame any of your disfunctions on the success of the elections in IRAQ.
In fact im yet to see any of your posts provide any kind of proof or help in most topics today. Yet you seem to have a great time blasting others for it.
These Gentlemen have simply stated that its a great pivot point for these people in Iraq and the best you can do is mock them by a childish remark!
Shows your character

Originally posted by Dr Love
I think it's a White House sponsored circle jerk. They're becoming a little too commonplace.

Peace

Oh, I get it! Being happy for Iraqis for what the Iraqi people did for the first time in 50 years makes me a Bush lover!










no...wait....
I don't get it




Edit: Strange..........our government wasn't even mentioned until Jako's post.........hmmm.......

[edit on 1-2-2005 by ThatsJustWeird]

Originally posted by ThatsJustWeird
Oh, I get it! Being happy for Iraqis for what the Iraqi people did for the first time in 50 years makes me a Bush lover!
no...wait....
I don't get it

No ThatsJustWeird I'm not saying you're a Bush lover, I'm just trying to add a little levity to the thread. My batteries are dead. I have no more juice to fight the Bush lovers today. Oops, did I say Bush lovers..........sorry!

Peace



[edit on 1-2-2005 by Dr Love]