CONGRATULATIONS To Iraq! First Peaceful Transition of Power !

[jonathan]

"The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon."

- George Washington


The most important event in the history of any new democracy
isn't the first election, it's the...second one. The first time power
changes hands peacefully marks the true birthplace for a new
democratic nation!

Now, and only just now, the Republic of Iraq can have
the legitimacy and unity of purpose where nation-building
can finally begin.



Maliki Agrees to Relinquish Power in Iraq

NY Times
AUG. 14, 2014

"BAGHDAD - Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said Thursday night
that he had agreed to relinquish power, state television reported,
potentially ending a crisis in which his deployment of extra security forces
around the capital had raised worries of a military coup.

While the country is not at peace, Mr. Maliki's decision appeared to pave
the way for the first truly peaceful transition of power, based on
democratic elections and without the guiding hand of American military
forces, in modern Iraq's history.

In stepping aside, Mr. Maliki agreed to end his legal challenge to the
nomination of his replacement, Haider al-Abadi, a member of Mr. Maliki's
own Shiite Islamist Dawa Party, who was chosen Monday by Iraq's
president. "Maliki steps down as prime minister in favor of Abadi,"
state television said on its Arabic-language news crawler."

Continue story here
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/15/world/middleeast/iraq-prime-minister-.html?_r=0




s

[jonathan]

The threat of ISIL is serving as the catalyst for the
solidification of Iraq democracy. Before ISIL the Iraqis
were fighting among each other, now they're fighting
a common external enemy.
Unity of purpose and legitimacy!

But I thought you were claiming that it was dictatorships that needed
that external enemy?

Dictatorships use real or imagined threats as an excuse to justify
repression and destroy democracy. More top-down control
weakens the nation internally, while producing an...external
collective or 'immune' response, flipping neighbors into enemies.

As we're witnessing with Russia right now!

But democracies respond as in examples like Pearl Harbor, 9/11
or ISIL, the collective response in...internal, strengthening the
nation, while flipping neighbors in allies.

Taken to their logical limits, eventually....

Dictatorships will be ..attacked by the combined.weight of the world
A democracy will combine it's strength with the rest of the world.
Two starkly different futures! Man-made hell or Divinest Nature!

Rule by Consent of the People, or not, decides whether the future
is another 20th century, or the far brighter future the world
deserves. Imho!



"When Nature falls upon Herself
Beware an Austrian"


s

--
"Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar
territory."
--G. Behn

[Bill]

Post by jonathan
Dictatorships use real or imagined threats as an excuse to justify
repression and destroy democracy.

How many times has that happened?

[jonathan]

Post by Bill

Post by jonathan
Dictatorships use real or imagined threats as an excuse to justify
repression and destroy democracy.

How many times has that happened?

Let me just recount the most recent time it happened, as
there are so many. In a speech in the wake of Flight 17
shoot down, Putin also did the following....


NY Times

Putin Pledges to Help but Sees Limits on Role
JULY 22, 2014

"In one significant remark on domestic matters, Mr. Putin said
that Russia was not cracking down on civil rights but he added
that efforts were being made to weaken the country through
various means, including influencing non governmental organizations."

"On Tuesday, the Kremlin also announced that Mr. Putin had signed
a law mandating prison sentences of up to five years for repeat
organizers of unsanctioned demonstrations. The new law also
restricted protest sites, barring oil refineries, Mr. Putin's residences
and courthouses, among other locations."
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/world/europe/putin-speech-reassures-russians-over-ukraine.html?_r=0



s

[Bill]

Post by jonathan

Post by Bill

Post by jonathan
Dictatorships use real or imagined threats as an excuse to justify
repression and destroy democracy.

How many times has that happened?

Let me just recount the most recent time it happened, as
there are so many. In a speech in the wake of Flight 17
shoot down, Putin also did the following....
NY Times
Putin Pledges to Help but Sees Limits on Role
JULY 22, 2014
"In one significant remark on domestic matters, Mr. Putin said
that Russia was not cracking down on civil rights but he added
that efforts were being made to weaken the country through
various means, including influencing non governmental organizations."
"On Tuesday, the Kremlin also announced that Mr. Putin had signed
a law mandating prison sentences of up to five years for repeat
organizers of unsanctioned demonstrations. The new law also
restricted protest sites, barring oil refineries, Mr. Putin's residences
and courthouses, among other locations."
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/world/europe/putin-speech-reassures-russians-over-ukraine.html?_r=0

Cancelled any elections has he?

[Andrew Swallow]

Post by Bill

Post by jonathan
Dictatorships use real or imagined threats as an excuse to justify
repression and destroy democracy.

How many times has that happened?

Try number of countries in Africa * N.

[Fred J. McCall]

Post by jonathan

The threat of ISIL is serving as the catalyst for the
solidification of Iraq democracy. Before ISIL the Iraqis
were fighting among each other, now they're fighting
a common external enemy.
Unity of purpose and legitimacy!

But I thought you were claiming that it was dictatorships that needed
that external enemy?

Dictatorships use real or imagined threats as an excuse to justify
repression and destroy democracy. More top-down control
weakens the nation internally, while producing an...external
collective or 'immune' response, flipping neighbors into enemies.
As we're witnessing with Russia right now!

But you just said that the Iraqi government was doing that with its
internal opposition. Unite against ISIS and all that...