"Since the war was officially declared completed, Bush's opponents have been declaring that the majority of Iraqis resent America and do not want any part of the liberation. If this is case, why did so many Iraqis risk their lives to vote? The answer is because Iraqis, just like Americans, enjoy freedom and desire to run their own lives and choose their own leaders. The continued violence in Iraq is not evidence that we do not belong over there but rather evidence that we do. The fringe elements that threaten security in Iraq are not looking out for the best interests of the people and certainly do not represent it."

Let me try writing what you should have said in this paragraph if you had a grasp on reality:

Since the war was declared "completed" 1200 Americans and 15-80,000 Iraqi civilians have been murdered. There is no electricity or running water in many parts of the country because we bombed them with our "smart" bombs and Halliburton hasn't gotten around to subcontracting out to re-build them (which was the reason they were bombed in the first place). Some repukes ask "Why did so many Iraqis risk their lives to vote in the election?" What they should be asking is "Does it mean anything to have an election in that was only viable through the US asserting martial law? Might the Iraqi's be trying to do what we want at this point so we will leave? Did we go into Iraq to spread democracy? Because what I remember Shrub saying was that the next attack "might come in the form of a mushroom cloud" as he said he had incontrovertible evidence that Iraq had a nuclear program. (Where?) The continued violence in Iraq is evidence that we CAN not leave because we have essentially done nothing to promote stability there and if we leave there will be Civil war.

Since you think the War is such a great idea Adam. I am looking forward to seeing your enlistment form published in the BH at the end of the semester. Or are you like Bush and Cheney and Rummy, another chickenhawk republican who talks a great game but wants other people to fight his wars?

While I share the scepticism most conservatives have toward nation building, I hope you're right that it's working in Iraq. A victory declaration seems, however, premature. I'm afraid that one election won't overcome centuries of ethnic and religious divisions.

BBBBWWWWWWAAARRKKK!

(Chickenhawk)

"Since the war was declared "completed" 1200 Americans and 15-80,000 Iraqi civilians have been murdered."

Did you forget about the hundreds of thousands that were murdered and even more kidnapped and tortured BEFORE we got there? Oh wait, now that things are looking up and Bush was right, you still need to have something to complain about.

While the election was a positive event, I don't think you can say based on one election that victory or success has been brought any closer. Many, many countries have first elections that have high turn outs. Many, many countries also don't have democracy last. Among all the problems that go with the war, the occupation, and the terrorism inside the country, the low literacy rate also concerns me. Democracy typically seems to last in places with high literacy rates.

"I don't think you can say based on one election that victory or success has been brought any closer."

Of course you only say that because the election went well. What if few had voted and/or huge numbers had died or the election had not occured. Wouldn't you now be saying that the election failure was proof of defeat?

Following the Iraqi election, Senator Hillary Clinton offered that "we have to salute the courage and bravery of those who are risking their lives to vote and those brave Iraqi and American soldiers fighting to protect their right to vote. They are facing terrorists who have declared war on democracy itself and made voting a life-and-death process." Last we checked, nobody had accused Mrs. Clinton of being a Republican.

At the onset of the Cold War, and despite opposition from the isolationist wing of their party, Arthur Vandenberg and other Republican Senators worked with Democratic President Harry Truman to forge the containment strategy against Communism. Where is today's Democratic Vandenberg?

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110006243

OMG, is Hillary the only hope?

I love how the internet gives us a sense of historical perspective.

Go back just three months and look at all the people who said this election would never happen.

That is why the story of Iraqi success is that much sweeter for everyone involved.

"Of course you only say that because the election went well. What if few had voted and/or huge numbers had died or the election had not occured. Wouldn't you now be saying that the election failure was proof of defeat?"

Nope, I wouldn't say that either. I would perhaps say they were trying for too much too soon, that the people wouldn't go out and vote until they felt safe. I'm not trying to take away anything from the people of Iraq who came out and voted in great numbers. Just going out and voting was a very brace action among the Iraqis, and shows they at least have interest in some sort of representative government. But lets say US troops leave five years from now, which I would say is a somewhat generous figure. Would it shock you if three year laters some general in the army led a successful coup? We will not be able to gauge the success of the action in Iraq until we are looking at sending our own kids to college at the earliest.

What we can gauge the success of are individual actions in Iraq. The election itself was highly successful. But you cannot declare victory in such a contentious area based on one positive, no matter how positive it may be, outcome.

"U.S. ENCOURAGED BY VIETNAM VOTE; Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror" - New York Times, Sep. 4, 1967. We all know that one turned out GREAT after that election...

"But lets say US troops leave five years from now, which I would say is a somewhat generous figure."

Aren't there still troops in Germany and Japan? Of course it's generally thought that we had success with democracy in those somewhat chancy situations.

"U.S. ENCOURAGED BY VIETNAM VOTE...

Well I think it was results of the US elections that directly caused the US defeat in Vietnam.