Free To Be Angry

Iraqis often point out that Saddam Hussein talked about freedom and democracy almost as much as the Americans do. Back in his day, Iraqis were free to vote in one-party elections, and did so with such zeal that he once won 104 percent of the vote. When the Americans arrived almost two years ago, most Iraqis had high hopes for much better. Now every major poll shows an ever-larger majority of Iraqis want the Americans to leave. In next week's elections, not a single major candidate is campaigning on a pro-American platform. Mostly, Iraqis miss the freedom to read by electric light, or to bathe with running water--which were in extremely short supply in Baghdad the past week. Compared with Liberty with a capital L, those may seem like minor inconveniences--until you don't have them.

Elections aren't necessarily going to make people feel much better. Sunni moderates are mostly boycotting the elections, while Sunni insurgents threaten to kill anyone who participates. In most cases, voters will cast ballots for a party, yet won't even know the names of the actual candidates, which are being kept secret for security reasons. To protect polling places, the government has ... // 68% Remaining