Violence Erupts at Protests by Iraqi Jobless

adios · #1 10-01-2003, 10:01 AM

Well maybe some Iraqis don't share Rummy's view of how things are going in Iraq:

Violence Erupts at Protests by Iraqi Jobless

I wonder if the Iraqi's will accept the US style of capitalism.

Chris Alger · #2 10-01-2003, 10:29 AM

It depends on whether you mean "US style" as practiced in the US, which means a diverse economy, labor unions, pensions, workforce and environmental regulation, a free media, a right to assemble, and a reasonably open political process to help ensure a tolerable distribution of wealth. Then there's "US style" by lesser developed clients, where a wealthy local elite siphons off part of the profits earned by giant coporations and uses them to buy guns to keep the oil and money flowing and taxes down. Twenty years from now, our disapointment that "free" Iraq looks more like the latter will no doubt be attributed by the Wall Street Journal to the failure of "Iraqis" to "accept" what was offered, reverting instead to their backward tribal ways.

adios · #3 10-01-2003, 10:56 AM

"It depends on whether you mean "US style" as practiced in the US, which means a diverse economy, labor unions, pensions, workforce and environmental regulation, a free media, a right to assemble, and a reasonably open political process to help ensure a tolerable distribution of wealth."

This is more inline with what I mean. However, I wonder if the Iraqis will actually accept a similar distribution of wealth that the US has. Ideally I'd like to see Iraqis own their fair share of the oil industry and I don't see that in the plans at this point but could be wrong. Dividends aren't enough unless they were guaranteed somehow. There seems to be two ways to go to me but perhaps there are more. An Iraqi oil industry that is set up as a private corporation where each Iraqi is given their fair share of ownership that could be bought and sold on open markets or a state run oil industry where the profits go to the government. If the Iraqi oil industry is privitized who gets the profits from these sales? I've thrown you a big fat slow one down the middle Chris [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

"Then there's "US style" by lesser developed clients, where a wealthy local elite siphons off part of the profits earned by giant coporations and uses them to buy guns to keep the oil and money flowing and taxes down."

I wouldn't call this US style but I'm sure you mean a US style of failure. Anyway I would agree that this represents a failure if it comes to pass.

"Twenty years from now, our disapointment that "free" Iraq looks more like the latter will no doubt be attributed by the Wall Street Journal to the failure of "Iraqis" to "accept" what was offered, reverting instead to their backward tribal ways."

No they would say that they were better off than with Hussein.

Cyrus · #4 10-01-2003, 12:05 PM

"...International officials have estimated the unemployment rate in Iraq may be running at around 50 percent."

Well, I would bet that much more violent demonstrations, if not outright rebellion, would erupt in any western country if half its working population was jobless.

And without any welfare support either.

ACPlayer · #5 10-01-2003, 12:20 PM

where a wealthy local elite siphons off part of the profits earned by giant coporations and uses them to buy guns to keep the oil and money flowing and taxes down

For a moment I thought you were giving the extreme left line about the US system. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Gamblor · #6 10-01-2003, 02:12 PM

Cyrus · #7 10-01-2003, 04:07 PM

You still don't get it. The part about "Kurdish murder rate at Hussein's hands at 50%" was why the war was waged -- ostensibly.

And the war was won by the United States, a fact disputed by no one except Saddam's Press Secretary.

It is the peace that is being lost and the reason is precisely that part about "Unemployment at 50%". The U.S. has won the war but is losing the peace. This is the point.

MMMMMM · #8 10-01-2003, 04:17 PM

The peace will not be easy to win, especially with al-Qaeda flooding in over the borders. However as long as Bush remains in office I believe the USA will do what is necessary to win the peace. Look for a much better situation in Iraq a year from now.

ACPlayer · #9 10-01-2003, 04:32 PM

I predict less than 20 years.

I also suggest that the WSJ will be offering as another reason that the new Administration installed in 2004 (optimismm prevails in this Utopia)or 2008 is to blame.

Cyrus · #10 10-01-2003, 05:28 PM

...Now who's been utopic?

"The peace will not be easy to win, especially with al-Qaeda flooding in over the borders."

You are either deluding yourself or you have confused the two wars! There are remnants of irregulars which hold on to mountain positions such as the Afghan-Pakistan border. But there's no al-Qaeda in Iraq. There never was.

If you have any evidence to the contrary, send it to the White House.

"As long as Bush remains in office I believe the USA will do what is necessary to win the peace."

You sure you're not British? That stiff upper lip when faced with unmitigated disaster is uncanny.

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]