[Peace-discuss] Letter in DI

[David Green]

Perhaps a hungover student will see the light through
the haze:

The Daily Illini - Opinions 
Issue: 4/5/05  

Letter: Iraqis want U.S. to leave

David Johnson (April 1) has, I desperately hope,
intended to write a column in the spirit of the date.
He writes that the United States "is tied down in the
reconstruction of the burgeoning democracy in Iraq,"
and "despite the barrage of bad news, there are
constant positive developments from Iraq: polls show
increasing support and optimism for a diverse
democracy with religious inspiration, but clearly not
under religious control. There is also increasing
intolerance for the terrorist attacks, with many
civilians taking defense into their own hands."

As elected Iraqi representatives futilely attempt to
form a government, it is important to remember that
elections were conducted only because Shi'ites took to
the streets and demanded them following our imposition
of a proconsul regime whose administrators intended no
such thing. 

Meanwhile, it can be assumed that there has never been
any tolerance for violence (American or Iraqi) among
the vast majority of Iraqis; nevertheless, the
violence (from both sides) continues unabated, the
majority of Iraqis want U.S. troops to leave, and we
have no plans to do so anytime soon. Given that the
majority also rightfully opposes the neo-liberal
looting of their resources by the occupation regime
and American corporations, it is arguable that those
who attack U.S. troops and their Iraqi collaborators
are "taking defense into their own hands."

Several days ago it was reported that the rate of
child malnutrition in Iraq had doubled since our
occupation. This is only the most recent cost of
"democracy" to be quantified, after 100,000 dead Iraqi
civilians, 2000 dead American soldiers, $200 billion,
a devastated economy, and a lethally polluted
environment. Whatever positive may be "burgeoning" in
Iraq is due to the resistance of its people and is
successful in spite of American designs that Johnson
mistakes for benevolence.

David Green

University employee 
 
The Daily Illini - Opinions 
Issue: 4/1/05  

Column: Good news
By David Johnson 

Not interested in world events? Read no further and
get back to planning where you'll get drunk tonight. 

The cosmopolitan among us know that somehow, in some
way, events across the world affect our lives. Exactly
how, we're not quite sure, since it's no longer as
simple as a monolithic villain declaring war on the
home of the brave. 

Our current way of thinking means we find ourselves
with military deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan to
bring democracy and freedom to those nations. The many
nations of the world are important because free
societies will provide for our long-term safety. Yet
American military might isn't the only source of
freedom for the oppressed; movements across the world
seek to establish personal liberties through their own
struggles.

In Champaign's cocoon, we're isolated from most news
that lacks either immediate importance or a political
agenda, which is why I believe everyone should know
about the prospects for democracy (and long-term
stability) worldwide.

We start our democracy run-down in Kyrgyzstan:

On March 24, a mass of over 10,000 protestors
converged in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, to
protest the illegitimate government of President
Akaev, who came to power after rigged elections in
February. The protest soon swelled, bringing in
thousands more civilians who confronted the military
and stormed the presidential residence. President
Akaev fled the country, and the opposition leader who
is assumed to be in some control is planning new
elections.

We continue to another former Soviet state, Belarus,
where the picture is less rosy:

On Belarus' independence day, hundreds of protestors
were arrested for "breaching the peace" for protesting
President Lukashenko's continued imprisonment and
torture of opposition leaders in that country.

The protestors in Belarus were inspired by those in
Kyrgyzstan, who were inspired by the recent victory of
reformers in Ukraine. The Ukrainian democrats were in
turned inspired by the democratic success of Georgia
some months ago. The former Soviet states are going
through more civil unrest, as the people demand
accountability and freedom from their governments.

We move now to the African nation of Zimbabwe, where
elections are currently underway. President Robert
Mugabe is one of the most brutal tyrants in the world,
putting down opposition through such tactics as
withholding the food supply, putting people in jail
or, worse yet, murder. While Mugabe puts on a farce of
democratic elections, expect to see a million ghost
voters (putting Chicago politics to shame) as Mugabe
tries to maintain a stranglehold on power. However,
much of the armed forces and huge swathes of the
country are fed up with Mugabe's iron fist, and,
considering the United States and most of the European
Union are firmly opposed to Mugabe, look for unrest if
the election is viewed as the farce it is.

Finally, we turn to the tumultuous Middle East, where
a recent victory by the national soccer team prompted
massive protests against the theocratic government
throughout Iran, with the number of protestors
potentially numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
The state-run Iranian media are worried; even while
the protests are entirely peaceful, the government is
blustering about "foreign exhibitionist forces"
responsible for such pro-democratic activity. 

"Foreign exhibitionist forces" can only mean the
United States, which is of course still tied down in
the reconstruction of the burgeoning democracy in
Iraq. Despite the barrage of bad news, there are
constant positive developments from Iraq: polls show
increasing support and optimism for a diverse
democracy with religious inspiration, but clearly not
under religious control. There is also increasing
intolerance for the terrorist attacks, with many
civilians now taking defense into their own hands.
Blogger Arthur Chrenkoff (at
http://chrenkoff.blogspot.com) provides an invaluable
resource for the plethora of positive news coming from
Iraq that we never hear. 

Democracy is on the march. Regardless of who wins the
big game tomorrow, the fact that people long oppressed
may soon have the rights we take for granted means we
should support them in any way necessary.

Melodramatic? If I were being tortured in a
Belarussian prison for speaking my mind, I wouldn't
think so.

David Johnson is a senior in business. His columns run
Fridays. He can be reached at
opinions at dailyillini.com.