Maybe Iraq is not ready for Democracy, and law and order?

The section 'The Trends' brings up an interesting idea. What if the population of Iraq can not get past the loyality of just the tribal clan? It seems that with this system of loyality, it would be hard for the nation to come together, and do what is best for the majority of citizens.

I can see that if a government was able to hand out jobs to citizens based upon loyality (non-national security type jobs), instead of to the most capable citizens, then you have bad system in place (corruption!)


Back in college, in one of my Humanities classes, I wrote a paper comparing and contrasting three books (political systems):

• Henry David Thoreau's "On Walden Pond"
• Karl Marx's "The Communist Manifesto"
• John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty"

I personally agreed with Mill's ideas.

It would be interesting to have included the Koran.

Marx's vision was hugely corrupted / distorted by Lenin and (worse) Stalin.
Marxism / Leninism is closest to the Koran, with 'someone / something' having total, unchallengable control. Funny that Marx said Religion is the opiate of the masses.

No matter what I will always believe in Lord Acton's phrase:
'Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.'

Democracy is not perfect. But if you have term limits (to avoid Presidents for life), true separation of power, and something like a free media to help keep things in check, it is a better system than dictatorships. Whether it is a dictatorship by a Facist, Communist or Religious, it is the same. But Democracy needs laws, people to abide by those laws, and a honest judicial system to take care of those who do not abide by the laws.