One thing I like is opinions. One persons opinions I have paid particular attention
to over the years and give great respect to is George Will.
His latest
opinion in the Washington Post is another one of those opinions I enjoyed reading.
The Bush administration deserves praise for overseeing the drafting and ratification
of Iraq’s constitution, another hurdle in the administration’s transformative war
to remake a region. But the administration should refrain from further strained analogies
between Iraq today and America at its constitutional founding.>
Yes, of course, America’s Constitution was a second try, after
a stumbling start with the Articles of Confederation. And, yes, America’s Constitution
was ratified only after, and perhaps only because, amendments were possible and were
promised. But the salient difference is this: America’s Constitution was written to
strengthen the central government for a remarkably homogeneous society. Iraq’s constitution
was written to make a strong central government impossible for a violently tribal
society. The constitution’s basis — federalism based on ethnicity — replicates the
condition that contained the seeds of America’s Civil War: The deepest political cleavages
coincide with regional cleavages.
Pay particular attention for the quotes from Donald Rumsfeld. He is such a ‘Cool old
Koot’.
America’s Constitution was a second try. You think Iraq has had a tough time getting
a constitution together? They have nothing on us. It took us 12 years to get ours
ratified. 12 years! What, it has taken them only about 3 years. Please! We had a lot
more hurdles to cross as well. We had our own little wars as well. And to think it
almost fell apart all because of slavery as well as a few other things.
So the next time you hear another media dimwit droning on and on about how tough things
are going in Iraq and how much of it is Bush’s fault. Pick up a history book and throw
it at the TV. Then pick it up and read up on what we had to go through.
OK, I have said enough. I have forgotten more history than I ever new.
Damn, I wish I had paid more attention in school.