cgannon64 said:
Keep in mind, the American consitution didn't have a Bill of Rights in it when it was passed either. Those were all amendments, and I beleive they were purposely left out of the original constitution so that it would get passed more easily, and be debated later...much as the Iraqis are doing now.
But we don't want Iraq to follow in our footsteps, now do we? If you recall, certain tough issues about how our Constitution was to be interpreted ultimately required a rather nasty Civil War to resolve, didn't they? Isn't this what we are trying to avoid in Iraq?
And, you ask how Islamic law and democratic law co-exist? Well, they can in a state like Iraq, where Islamic law is (apparently) democratically supported. (Could Islamic law and egalitarian law co-exist? Perhaps not.)
No, I asked what a phrase like 'Democratic standards' means, particularly in a nation that has no history of democracy? For instance, should Iraqi courts consider American laws as being demonstrative of 'democratic standards' when determining if a law is constitutional? Though actually, we aren't a democracy, so do we count? Is there any functioning nation that is really a democracy? Or does 'democracy' encompass any form of representative government? Does Turkmenistan qualify under that standard?
Obviously, language is an imperfect medium, and everything ultimately requires a certain degree of interpretation. But a phrase like 'democratic standards' is so utterly vague as to meaningless. How is a judge supposed to interpret something like that?
The thing we all have to remember is that the Iraqis are writing this. Democracy in action. It works best with smart people with sane ideals.
Um
yay? Look, I like democracy as much as the next guy, but it's not a magic word that makes problems go away. Democracies fail all the time. And I think we all agree that this particular democracy is going to have a harder time of it than most, at least for a while.
Sounds like the Iraqis figured out how to solve that issue. Onto the next!
This is obviously some new definition of the word 'solve' that I was previously unaware of.
How much do you want to bet that if such a compromise goes through, regions will begin dismantling existing wells as quickly as they can afford to and replacing them with new ones? What incentive would they have to refrain from doing so?
Meanwhile, according to Dr. Raja Kuzai,
Iraq's future is set.
"This is the future of the new Iraqi government - it will be in the hands of the clerics," said Dr. Raja Kuzai, a secular Shiite member of the Assembly. "I wanted Iraqi women to be free, to be able to talk freely and to able to move around."
"I am not going to stay here," said Dr. Kuzai, an obstetrician and women's leader who met President Bush in the White House in November 2003.
You may remember Dr. Kuzai from her past appearances with President Bush.
She used to be a big Bush cheerleader.
PRESIDENT BUSH: I want to thank my friend, Dr. Raja Khuzai, who's with us today. This is the third time we have met. The first time we met, she walked into the Oval Office -- let's see, was it the first time? It was the first time. The door opened up. She said, "My liberator," and burst out in tears -- (laughter) -- and so did I. (Applause.)
Dr. Khuzai also was there to have Thanksgiving dinner with our troops. And it turned out to be me, as well. Of course, I didn't tell her I was coming. (Laughter.) But I appreciate that, and now she's here again. I want to thank you, Doctor, for your hard work on the writing of the basic law for your people. You have stood fast, you have stood strong. Like me, you've got liberty etched in your heart, and you're not going to yield. And you are doing a great job and we're proud to have you back. Thanks for coming. (Applause.)
Truth hurts, I guess.
