The Election in Iraq

I'm happy Iraqis are voting.

And it is really sad there are people in Iraq trying to disrupt the process.

I have never had anything against bringing a better state to Iraq. The only question was how to do it.

While the Bush administration will clearly spin a huge success out of the Iraq vote, the fact is, their mismanagement made the situation far far worse than it ever should have been. Too many people died who didn't need to die.

Moreover, while the elections in iraq may be a great thing conceptually-- on the ground, I doubt anything will change. The insurgency is very likely going to try to keep disrupting things and killing Iraqis and Americans alike. It's still going to be very bad a week from now.

I don't have to watch the pundits declare Bush the great victor out of all this-- because of his "steadfastness" (I am imagining the coverage here). I'm sure I will get sick if I hear these things. But of course, to the American media-- more than about Iraqis-- these elections are all about BUSH.

Nonetheless, things will not change in Iraq after this.

Moreover, if a Shiite-dominated government eventually comes out of this, as seems likely, it may very well be a long-term disaster for US interests in the region.

Not that that outcome is a BAD thing neccessarily.