As practically everyone knows, Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit has recently posted a reference to an article by Johann Hari in The Independent (also available on his blog). The point of the article:
All decent people - including those who opposed the war - must now work to establish a consensus in Britain and the US behind the path that Iraqis, in every single poll of their opinion, are begging us to take: stay for a few years to ensure a transition to democracy, resist the fascistic bombers attacking those who have come to help, and gradually accord more and more power to the Governing Council in advance of elections.
I wonder if it's time yet to start talking about a referendum in Iraq on what they'd like the US to do? If successful it would be the strongest possible endorsement of the US role. It would certainly put a muzzle on the defeatists here at home, and in the "international community," were the majority of Iraqis to actually vote for a 24 month "subscription," to work hand in hand with the US reconstruction effort. And having such a vote immediately after we've committed $20 Billion to the reconstruction wouldn't be the worst timing in the world, either. It would also give the Iraqis a direct role in resisting the Ba'athist insurgency. Of course, the risk is that they'd vote us out. But it'd sure be something to see, huh?
Posted by Demosophist at October 29, 2003 11:40 PM | TrackBackProblem with that is that while the result would be interesting and possibly useful, there's no way it could be decisive. (Would we leave, if a majority said they wanted us to?) A meaningless vote, used only for the publicity the expected result will bring, is *not* part of a good education in democracy
Posted by: jaed at November 1, 2003 11:21 AMjaed:
It would be decisive in the sense that it would either mean the US would be there clearly against the will of the majority of Iraqis, or not. And if the latter, at the very least it would shorten our stay and give opponents a good argument to get us out. There'd be a significant downside for us and for the Iraqis, but it would also give their new government a chance to establish some legitimacy, by battling the Baathists who would certainly do their best to undercut the referendum. And I think that *is* the kind of lesson they need. But it was really just a thought exercise.
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