[mrick]

[ QUOTE ]
The fact that some semblance of democracy is even in place, in the middle of what is effectively a civil war amongst rival political sects in the heart of the Middle East, is sort of mind boggling.

[/ QUOTE ]whats even more mindboggling is that the u.s. is trying to ram down those people throats DEMOCRACY when its patently clear that theyre not and will not be ready for some time for the kind of DEMOCRACY were usedto in the west. hell even in some parts of europe they are voting along the lines of CLANS!!!!

did you see the news about the mafia execution in germany of six wiseguys????? they are from some mafia style organisation based in the south of italy not SICILY where the place belongs to 200 families or something. every election everybody votes what the organisation says. nobody betrays. the government is helpless.

AND IRAQ IS MUCH WORSE THAN THAT so the notion of the u.s. is trying to establish a moderate tolerant democracy there is MINDBOGGLING!!! consider that our best allies are the SHIITES......