Comments on: The Largest “Embassy” in the World http://remarkk.com/2006/11/30/the-largest-embassy-in-the-world/ OPEN creative communities Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:40:08 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Mark Kuznicki http://remarkk.com/2006/11/30/the-largest-embassy-in-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1548 Mark Kuznicki Fri, 01 Dec 2006 23:14:00 +0000 http://remarkk.com/2006/11/30/the-largest-embassy-in-the-world/#comment-1548 An actual democracy was always against U.S. interests in a region with strong religious parties. A "managed democracy" with limited autonomy operating within American-defined limits was probably closer to the actual strategy, but that hasn't worked out because of the inability of the Iraqi government to consolidate control and maintain legitimacy. It is fascinating the people one can find doing interesting stuff by <a href="http://positiveliberty.com/2006/11/okay-the-blogosphere-is-officially-too-crowded.html" rel="nofollow">googling one's own name</a>. An actual democracy was always against U.S. interests in a region with strong religious parties. A “managed democracy” with limited autonomy operating within American-defined limits was probably closer to the actual strategy, but that hasn’t worked out because of the inability of the Iraqi government to consolidate control and maintain legitimacy.

It is fascinating the people one can find doing interesting stuff by googling one’s own name.

]]> By: Rohan Jayasekera http://remarkk.com/2006/11/30/the-largest-embassy-in-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1541 Rohan Jayasekera Fri, 01 Dec 2006 20:29:54 +0000 http://remarkk.com/2006/11/30/the-largest-embassy-in-the-world/#comment-1541 Indeed, the operative adjective seems to be "stand-alone", not "democratic". The US government had in mind a country able to manage its own affairs, which is not happening. Credible sources in the USA have said that the administration was looking to replace a dictatorship by a democracy, to establish a shining example for the people of the region of a preferable alternative to an Islamic state, a kind of local Turkey, only richer. However, given that US administrations have historically not promoted democracy, this was a new thing for them and they had no idea how to go about it, or if they did they were unwilling to take the risks required. For instance, a certain Rohan Jayasekera other than me who is Associate Editor of Index on Censorship (and about whom I know a lot because I check what Google is saying about "me") has spent time in Iraq and has written about how the US military controlled the media there, actively interfering with the emergence of a free press. No surprise that a military imposes control! Indeed, the operative adjective seems to be “stand-alone”, not “democratic”. The US government had in mind a country able to manage its own affairs, which is not happening.

Credible sources in the USA have said that the administration was looking to replace a dictatorship by a democracy, to establish a shining example for the people of the region of a preferable alternative to an Islamic state, a kind of local Turkey, only richer.

However, given that US administrations have historically not promoted democracy, this was a new thing for them and they had no idea how to go about it, or if they did they were unwilling to take the risks required. For instance, a certain Rohan Jayasekera other than me who is Associate Editor of Index on Censorship (and about whom I know a lot because I check what Google is saying about “me”) has spent time in Iraq and has written about how the US military controlled the media there, actively interfering with the emergence of a free press. No surprise that a military imposes control!

]]> By: Mark Kuznicki http://remarkk.com/2006/11/30/the-largest-embassy-in-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1526 Mark Kuznicki Fri, 01 Dec 2006 02:41:31 +0000 http://remarkk.com/2006/11/30/the-largest-embassy-in-the-world/#comment-1526 I guess it's a matter of a shocking disconnect between propaganda and reality. The language of the administration is that there is a legitimate democratic government today, which is increasingly blamed for the country's instability. It appears that the time-frame planners have in mind is measured in generations, and that democracy is not the primary strategic objective in either the short or medium term. I guess it’s a matter of a shocking disconnect between propaganda and reality. The language of the administration is that there is a legitimate democratic government today, which is increasingly blamed for the country’s instability. It appears that the time-frame planners have in mind is measured in generations, and that democracy is not the primary strategic objective in either the short or medium term.

]]> By: Rohan Jayasekera http://remarkk.com/2006/11/30/the-largest-embassy-in-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1524 Rohan Jayasekera Fri, 01 Dec 2006 02:15:50 +0000 http://remarkk.com/2006/11/30/the-largest-embassy-in-the-world/#comment-1524 I see no contradiction, just a recognition that to stay until "Iraq becomes a stand-alone, democratic entity" has turned out to mean staying for a long time. Possibly a very long time. I see no contradiction, just a recognition that to stay until “Iraq becomes a stand-alone, democratic entity” has turned out to mean staying for a long time. Possibly a very long time.

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