Sunday January 30, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

The Iraqi elections are over. The turnout was high.

Iraqis came out to vote despite the threats. Local Iraqi's understand the facts on the ground better than our talking heads and analysts looking out proverbial windows on this side of the world.

Iraqis have lived under physical threats for decades and this particular threat did not throw them. In the Iraqi mind the fear of being "punished" for their vote was worthwhile. They convinced themselves that the risk was minimal, that the terrorists would not be able to find them. And they were right.

Masses are always more powerful than the few when they stand up.
The opposite of standing up in defiance is cowering in fear.
And that's when another Saddamesque figure is invited back to power.

President Bush understands more now than he did before. By saying: "Terrorist violence will not end with the election" the president took a significant step forward.