Mr Stillwater in regard to your post of Thu May 22, 2003 6:54 pm
Not glib at all, quite valid questions.
If we could some how use some of Saddam's Personal fortune to pay for some of the war damage that would be great. Problem is Saddam didn't really earn it and therefore we would just be taking more resources belonging to the Iraqi people. It's a shame we can't find him. I think his prosecution for his deeds against the Iraqi people would, at least in a small way, help unify Iraq. But, I digress.
As to your question:
Quote:"Where is this 'middle-class' will come from?"
Its already there, at least its cultural memory still exists.
This from Kim Ghattas' April 24th 2002 article in BBC's world news
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1949205.stm
Quote:"...For the past 12 years, the country has been struggling under UN-imposed sanctions, which have greatly affected the life of the Iraqis but done little to undermine the power of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Saddam Hussein has kept a tight grip on power since UN imposed sanctions
Iraq's middle class has been almost completely wiped out while poverty is spreading and people with close ties to the regime are becoming richer..."
Indeed, this area located in the "Fertile Crescent", is at least one of the original sites of the development of a middle class in the ancient history of human civilization, if not
the original (In earlier times such as 3000B.C. I liberally equate the mercantile class with today's Middle Class. They are really the same regarding my discussion of Middle Class importance related to national economic health).
A strong healthy middle class is important for two reasons. First it demonstrates a healthy industrious citizenry. A nation's true wealth comes from its people and their labors, inventions, and societal institutions. It does not come from the presence of natural resources. Without proper management and efficient use of these resources by the nation these resources alone will not produce a strong vital economy.
Second, we see that a strong middle class encourages personal liberty and a diverse source of human resource because of its very nature.
Quote:"The success of the middle-classes... can be seen in their ability to universalise a set of principles based on individuality and progress. In moving from a society based on rank and privilege to one based on free exchange, the very idea that an individual, through hard work, thrift and self reliance, could achieve social and economic success provided an equalising principle."
The Rise of the Victorian Middle Class
By Dr Donna Loftus
Full text at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/society_culture/society/middle_classes_01.shtml
The kernel of middle class values exists in Iraq within all ethnic and religious groups. The middle class speaks a common language by calling for fairness, efficiency, and the diversity inherent in a system that rewards anyone who produces a better "mouse trap". This language should be another force bringing disparate groups together.
I also share your concern regarding the main factions within the country.
However, unlike you, I see the Kurds not as obstructionist but as a model for the rest of the country. As you have made reference to in your above post, they have, in the last twelve years, set up a defacto Kurdish republic (Which in itself has various factions). This was possible due mostly to U.S. protection and enforcement of the Northern "No Fly Zone". Their leaders, shortly before the initiation of GWII, came to an agreement with the U.S. that they would not pursue statehood. Turkey also demonstrated its seriousness against such nationalistic tendencies by sending troops to its frontier shared with Northern Iraq. The Kurds seemed to get the message. So much so, that at one point the Kurds actually withdrew from Mosul after taking it with coalition help. Kurdish main interests seem to lie in a relatively autonomous government. This concept is not incongruous with an Iraqi republican type government and is similar to individual state's concerns early in the formation of the U.S. government.
The Shi'a sect currently comprise at least 60% of the country's population and have, as I have mentioned earlier in this thread, expressed a desire to have a stronger say in government that is more representative of their numerical presence. This is, of course, fair and can also be incorporated into a republican style government. At least implicit in this Shiite request is a desire to have a mostly Shiite influence on the government. However, with a republican government and a counterbalancing rule requiring a quorum for legitimate national action this overbalance can be effectively checked in legislative forums.
The Sunni sect comprises 20-25% of the population. One can divide up Iraq's population a number of ways. However, I am not sure of any validity afforded to any one type of classification.
Using a "People" yardstick the country can be divided between Kurdish and Arab peoples (as well as other much smaller groups). The Arab segment being composed of Sunni and Shi'a religious sects. But if we use the "Religious" measure we see 2 large divisions, Shiite and Sunni, at least 15% of the latter consisting of Kurds. The former composed of "Marsh Arabs", "nomadic Bedouins" and others. Investigating further, we find further divisions.
Are we then to throw up our hands in frustration and voice our dismay as to all the different factions? Is this supposed roadblock to future central government insurmountable? No. Given a republican/representative type of government these numerous factions will actually work towards an overall goal of fair government for all and work against selection for special groups gaining an inordinate amount of governmental control. Cabals voting against such actions will subvert the parochial interests of individual factions. Conversely, if the central government is to adopt any overarching legislation this will require the majority of factions to work together thereby insuring a buffer against self-interests and resulting in a policy more evenly balanced towards the general good. This assumes the government in question is properly constituted and implemented, so I am cautiously optimistic.
An auspicious sign has been the large increase in the appearance and sale of satellite dishes in Iraq. These are able to pick up signals from such diverse sources as Al-Jazeera, BBC, and MSNBC. More balanced information fosters more sensible decisions. No one can long for something when its existence is not known. Stone age tribes in the jungles of Papua New Guinea do not pine for TV. So, when the Iraqi masses see what is actually going on in the world they will want a piece of the action for themselves, this includes liberty in addition to DVD players.
JM
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