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Hearts and Minds

The Discovery-Times Channel has a great show you should all check out sometime. It’s called Off to War, and it follows the day-to-day lives of several members of the Arkansas National Guard called into duty. Some of it takes place here in the States with their families, and some of it is filmed in the field over in Iraq. It’s interesting to hear them discuss their views on the War.

One quote that really struck me was from Sgt. David Short. He was overseeing some local sheiks from the Rashadia area convene for their so-called “council” meeting. Here’s what he had to say:

“A democracy, as we know it, will not work here. What I see in alot of these sheiks are just little Saddams in their own little province. The main thing I want to do here is just survive so I can leave. Whatever they decide to do with it after we go, I really don’t care.”

Let’s hope that’s not true. Let’s hope the democratic process really does include the gradual transfer of de facto political power into the hands of the everyday Iraqi. Let’s hope the constitution is a legitimate step in the right direction.