The backpedal begins

[shropshire 0]

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Does the US even have an exit strategy?

They could blow the dust from the last one that they used... throw some helicopters from ships and hightail it out of dodge......

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[billvon 3,131]

>you guys will be saying that the election was a failure.

The administration is already saying it will be. Do you disagree with them?

> Does it mean that the election was fraudulent or illegitimate? Hell no.

If Sunni terrorists kill enough Shi'ites to keep them from voting, you are honestly going to say it's a fair election? Saddam got 99% of the popular 'vote' with such tactics - do you think that he was elected fairly?

You are right, any election at all is a start. This won't be much of one, as the white house has said. At best we can hope that it serves to remind Iraqis that they _can_ vote, and will give us more time to stabilize the place for a real election sometime in the future.

>That fu$%ing joke was considered a feather in his cap.

And I have no doubt this upcoming joke of an election will be used by right wingers here to plant a feather in Bush's. I'll bet you $200 (payable to the charity of your choice) that no matter what happens Jan 30th, right wingers will sing the praises of Bush's wisdom in freeing the Iraqis.

[crozby 0]

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No matter what the outcome, you guys will be saying that the election was a failure.

I think it'll be less successful than the Afghanistan election, but like you say it'll be a start.

I know nothing about Haiti - how has democracy taken hold there 10 years on?

[kelpdiver 2]

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>In what way would the election be fraudulent?

If the violence is so bad that a certain group (say the Shi'ites) stay home rather than risk being shot, then the results will be fraudulently skewed towards another group, like the Sunnis.

I think I would classify that as voter intimidation rather than fraud, but yeah, that's merely semantics.

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>It astounds me that somehow the US is the bad guy in this context.

?? I said it's a good thing that we are gearing up to not support a fraudulent election. That's the opposite of being the bad guy.

Didn't mean to attribute that sentiment to you. But there are plenty who would compare our actions here as morally equilivent to some of our past elections - such as in South Vietnam and Chile.

At least some of the NorCal Democrats would prefer the election happen, though it's unclear how it could happen given the lack of infrastructure (pollsters) to do it.

[juanesky 0]

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I know nothing about Haiti - how has democracy taken hold there 10 years on?

Perhaps you should look into facts before posting statements like this.

Check on few news here, and here.

Go ahead and be my guest on discussing actual event on Haiti, and it has been in turmoil for practically ever......Check on Jean Bertrand Aristide, that in the late 80's got elected, overthrown, helped by other countries, like Venezuela, put back in power, on and off....

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

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prolonged presence.

Like it did in the Philippines?

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[penniless 0]

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I know nothing about Haiti - how has democracy taken hold there 10 years on?

Perhaps you should look into facts before posting statements like this.

....

I didn't see a statement worthy of your ridicule. I saw a question.