Iraq: Democracy is the end, not the means

Parsing words on Iraqóthe "realpolitik" of Kerry

Datelineóabove the garage, Portsmouth RI, 22 April

Reference: "Kerry's Iraq 'Stability,'" by an otherwise intelligent Wall Street Journal editorial board, 22 April, p. A18.

This makes it 0-for-2 for the Journal today ó my favorite paper.

No, I don't expect them to favor Kerry over Bush, but this analysis of Kerry's supposed backtracking from democracy as a goal in Iraq to mere "stability" is just silly.

Yes, I'm on board with the WSJ's thoughts regarding the Middle East in general: the "stability" of the past three decades has sucked big-time, generating 9/11 and the GWOT. If that's "stability," I too will vote for transformation, and have in print myself. But when Kerry now stresses stability over democracy as a goal for the Iraq occupation, he's being realistic in the best sense of the word. Again, democracy is the end, not the means.

I myself have very little expectation of democracy in Iraq any time soon, and support the idea of American troops staying there for the long haul, because I honestly believe fewer American lives will be lost this way ó as opposed to cutting and running and watching terror take hold in that country and spread elsewhere. Frankly, if the choice is fighting terrorists in Baghdad versus Boston, using professional soldiers versus unaware citizens, I will chose Baghdad every single time. And I don't know of any soldiers, sailors, airmen or Marines who think differently. All of them take real pride in being on the front lines, and keeping those front lines over there.

But we're kidding ourselves when we argue that democracy is the answer for Iraq. Connectivity is the answer, because connectivity will get us stability in ways that democracy rarely does absent a host of wonderfully interrelated and mutually-supporting outcomes. Democracy doesn't mean squat when 70% are unemployed in Iraq, but connectivity can because it creates options, seams, opportunities, schemes, etc. Little stuff that ordinary people can act on and exploit. Democracy will be an empty exercise absent the economic opportunity that comes with broadband connectivity with the outside world that taps into the ambitions and desires of average citizens.

Pushing for that sort of "stability" doesn't make you a hard-headed realpolitik thinker, it makes you a realist pure and simple.

So please, WSJ, skip the word parsing. Skip the "remarkable reversal" talk about Democrats. Hell, skip the argument about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin while you're at it.

No one has to sign up to "democracy" in the Middle East to support our troops and what they're doing there right now. We need to stay focused on the tasks at hand, and they are: 1) stability; 2) connectivity; 3) economic growth and then ó and only then ó way down the road . . . 4) democracy.

We all need to get "real" on Iraq.