Well, at the risk of being branded a traitor, I'd add that voting doesn't mean much in and of itself. Iraqis have voted previously, y'know. Whether the voting can be then translated into a functioning society is what matters and frankly, I have some pretty serious doubts.
Y'know, just like capturing Saddam was going make a big difference and killing his sons was going to make a big difference and flattening Fallujah was going to make a big difference and so on and so forth...
Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror
by Peter Grose, Special to the New York Times (9/4/1967: p. 2)
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3-- United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in South Vietnam's presidential election despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting.
Well, at the risk of being branded a traitor, I'd add that voting doesn't mean much in and of itself. Iraqis have voted previously, y'know. Whether the voting can be then translated into a functioning society is what matters and frankly, I have some pretty serious doubts.
Y'know, just like capturing Saddam was going make a big difference and killing his sons was going to make a big difference and flattening Fallujah was going to make a big difference and so on and so forth...
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 9:39 AM
The Right is watching
I've got a unmanned drone above the apostropher's house right now!
Posted by baa | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 9:52 AM
Yeah, The Weblog was totally on this in April of '04. As usual, the rest of the blogosphere is caught in a desparate game of catch-up.
Posted by Adam Kotsko | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 10:03 AM
Talk about instant service!
Posted by Adam Kotsko | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 10:10 AM
Joke's on you, baa. Today's my first day back at work.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 10:33 AM
That's not you? Then who's drinking the beer out of your fridge?
Posted by baa | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 10:46 AM
The diarist patachon at dailykos posts a Billmonesque blast from the past:
U.S. Encouraged by Vietnam Vote :
Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror
by Peter Grose, Special to the New York Times (9/4/1967: p. 2)
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3-- United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in South Vietnam's presidential election despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting.
Good times.
Posted by Joe Drymala | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 11:00 AM
Gotta be the missus since, at two weeks old, I don't think the apostrophyte can work a bottle opener yet.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 11:17 AM
If Iraq turns into another Vietnam, would this decisively prove the "second time as farce" thing?
Posted by Adam Kotsko | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 12:05 PM
I think the real question is whether farce gone too far loops back to tragedy.
Posted by SomeCallMeTim | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 12:44 PM
Rebecca: This is so bad it's almost good.
Enid: This is so bad it's gone past good and back to bad again.
-- Cool World
Posted by Joe Drymala | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 1:39 PM
The above quote is actually from "Ghost World." Cool World is about naughty cartoons. It is nonetheless a good quote, and they are both fine cinema.
Posted by Martin | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 2:20 PM
Damn. So right.
Posted by Joe Drymala | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 2:33 PM
Is it true that Iraqi citizens were told that they would not recieve food handouts if they didn't vote?
Posted by Edo | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 5:17 PM
There is a story here, but it doesn't look definitive.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 01-31-05 5:25 PM