It’s good news that violence during the Iraqi constitutional referendum was less than during the previous election. Higher turnout among Sunni voters also seems good, except insofar as they seem to have decisively rejected the proposed constitution; I don’t know what that portends for future political unity. That said, Jim Henley made me laugh today:
Looks like the Iraqi Constitution is going to pass. Hopefully people will be able to read it soon too. After that the Iraqi Hamilton, Madison and Jay can write pithy essays about why people should (have) vote(d) for it. At the very end of the process the first colonist touches ground on the shores of Iraq.
It does seem a bit strange for people to be voting on something they have never seen. It’s late Wittgenstein voting! I’ll vote for your beetle if you vote for mine! Seriously, mine has awesome iridescent wings and stuff! No, you can’t look.
{ 10 comments }
Matt Weiner 10.17.05 at 9:17 am
Why is this posted in “academia”? Surely the academy isn’t in that much peril.
beajerry 10.17.05 at 9:44 am
That’s funny. Why aren’t there more Iraqi polls?
If they are gonna learn anything about democracy, they’d better learn about poll numbers.
Adam Kotsko 10.17.05 at 9:51 am
Yes, but the Sunnis rejected the constitution in a democratic way, so they’re a couple steps further along on the Long Road to Liberalism.
Matt Weiner 10.17.05 at 10:08 am
That’s true, Kotsko, you bastard.
abb1 10.17.05 at 10:32 am
If Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani read it said it’s good – that’s good enough for me. And you, woman, should be ashamed of yourself.
Uncle Kvetch 10.17.05 at 11:53 am
Why aren’t there more Iraqi polls?
If they are gonna learn anything about democracy, they’d better learn about poll numbers.
Who needs polls? Condi Rice was predicting the constitution was going to pass before the polls even closed.
JR 10.17.05 at 12:54 pm
Ballot stuffing in Iraq? See http://www.mydd.com/
John Lederer 10.17.05 at 2:35 pm
Sunnis overwhelmingly approved the constitution by very high margins.
Sunnis in central and southern Iraq had mixed voting. The split between these Sunnis and the other Sunni voters, to the degree there was one, was political. ethnic, or cultural, not religious.
Kurds are Sunnis.
jonathan 10.17.05 at 7:07 pm
Kurds are not Sunnis…sure they are religiously, but there is also a Sunni-Arab nation opposed to the Kurdish Nation.
The Guardian put up a brilliant article on this issue, and future. Arguing historically how this constitution is no good
jonathan 10.17.05 at 7:07 pm
Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1594802,00.html
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