How is Iraq doing?

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Did anyone see that News week cover?
Some people are saying that Iraq is now a successful democracy, but how should success be defined? Iraq isn't quite a failed state, or a horrible dictatorship, but it still does not have a foundation that will help the country reconcile its sunni, sh**te conflict.

[Franzl]

Better than it was a few years ago (and the Bush surge did help....credit must be given where it's due), but it doesn't change the fact that the whole operation has been a massive failure, even if the current situation is probably preferable to Hussein's government.

Of course....if you look at what the Iraq War has cost, financially, and more importantly in loss of life....it wasn't worth it.

[Hash]

Some people are saying that Iraq is now a successful democracy

Hahahahahahaha! Lolololol. Yeah, sure.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Some people are saying that Iraq is now a successful democracy

Hahahahahahaha! Lolololol. Yeah, sure.

even if you disagree it is worth entertaining.

[Franzl]

Some people are saying that Iraq is now a successful democracy

Hahahahahahaha! Lolololol. Yeah, sure.

even if you disagree it is worth entertaining.

It's worth entertaining things that are objectively false?

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Some people are saying that Iraq is now a successful democracy

Hahahahahahaha! Lolololol. Yeah, sure.

even if you disagree it is worth entertaining.

It's worth entertaining things that are objectively false?

I think that their are some issues of gray, but I think reading a book on the subject would be more educating than spending my time on an internet forum.

[Hash]

Some people are saying that Iraq is now a successful democracy

Hahahahahahaha! Lolololol. Yeah, sure.

even if you disagree it is worth entertaining.

Things that are laughably wrong are not worth entertaining. They're worth laughing at.

[Bo]

(and the Bush surge did help....credit must be given where it's due)

I'm not so sure about that. I think that I read somewhere before that the main reason the violence decreased in Iraq between 2007 and 2010 is due to some new tactics that the CIA implemented in fighting insurgents, rather than due to the surge.

In response to the original question, I think Iraq is slowly evolving into a Putinesque type of democracy. It's a shame we had to spend hundreds of billions of dollars (if not more) on this war in the first place, since we could have used that money to provide healthcare to everyone in the U.S. for a decade, to pay down our debt, or to start weaning off our dependence on foreign oil.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Basically, it went from a "stable" dictatorship to a democracy where people (still) get blown up regularly. Pick your lesser evil.

[opebo]

Some people are saying that Iraq is now a successful democracy

Hahahahahahaha! Lolololol. Yeah, sure.

even if you disagree it is worth entertaining.

I would happily entertain the idea that Iraq is now a shining city on a hill.  And the important fact is still the same:  Nobody cares.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Some people are saying that Iraq is now a successful democracy

Hahahahahahaha! Lolololol. Yeah, sure.

even if you disagree it is worth entertaining.

I would happily entertain the idea that Iraq is now a shining city on a hill.  And the important fact is still the same:  Nobody cares.

I don't think that the anyone could argue that it is a shinning city on a hill, but will Iraq gain anything from simply being a democracy?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Some people are saying that Iraq is now a successful democracy

Hahahahahahaha! Lolololol. Yeah, sure.

even if you disagree it is worth entertaining.

I would happily entertain the idea that Iraq is now a shining city on a hill.  And the important fact is still the same:  Nobody cares.

I don't think that the anyone could argue that it is a shinning city on a hill, but will Iraq gain anything from simply being a democracy?

LOL

What Democracy?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

That depends from what perspective you take; it's not always a great idea to assume that there's any one answer to questions like this one when talking about deeply divided societies. Things have turned out fairly well for the majority community, though.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Some people are saying that Iraq is now a successful democracy

Hahahahahahaha! Lolololol. Yeah, sure.

even if you disagree it is worth entertaining.

I would happily entertain the idea that Iraq is now a shining city on a hill.  And the important fact is still the same:  Nobody cares.

I don't think that the anyone could argue that it is a shinning city on a hill, but will Iraq gain anything from simply being a democracy?

LOL

What Democracy?

Democracy is an ever evolving concept that improves/degrades over time. For example the united states of america was more like a republic than a democracy until our government started to distribute voting rights to more and more groups.