Good News In Iraq

[Annie]

Taking the Field
A roundup of the past two weeks' good news from Iraq. The following are the 'highlights' check out the WSJ site for links and more detail:

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110005481

BY ARTHUR CHRENKOFF
Monday, August 16, 2004 12:01 a.m. EDT

As Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby writes, "The press tends to emphasize what's going wrong in Iraq because of an inbuilt bias for the negative--only the plane that crashes, not the 999 that land safely, [makes] news. The result is that while the bad news in Iraq gets reported everywhere, the reports of good news you have to look for." For the sake of fairness, one might add that in Iraq it's perhaps 10 or 20 planes that crash, yet even with that caveat the mainstream media coverage often give one the impression that the whole Iraqi air fleet has gone down in flames.

The past two weeks have not been an exception, with the news from Iraq dominated by more hostage crises, the oil shock, continuing terrorist campaign and a sequel to the Shia uprising. Good news, once again, was few and far between. Yet progress continues to be made on the ground in Iraq, even during the most dangerous of times and often against the odds that we--so insulated by the safety, comfort and predictability of life in the West--can hardly even begin to comprehend....

*Society-info on women and governmental leaders traveling to find out more about democracy-for the upcoming elections. Healthcare, including only 64 Aids cases and increasing healthcare availability to more people. The Olympics, and what it means to compete without fear. The impact of freedom of speech and the Iraqi embrace of federalism-with the blessing of Imam Sistani! Education and the availabilty of it. Radio and tv that are not state controlled.

*The economy-plans on trying to improve known oil reserves and locate new. The coming online of 6 new power stations and the implications to farming and the quality of life. Reestablishment of insurance and banking-two of the precursors of an industrial age. GM is considering building an auto plant in Iraq and the Iraqis are courting that.

*Reconstruction-of the infrastructure. The US Army, I'll assume including the Corps of Engineers, are helping put the Iraqis to work on sewer, water, and electrical rebuilding/updating. International groups have been sending money that is being directed here, to improve the quality of life and make more business opportunities available.

*Humanitarian-Again, there is an international element, but heavy ties to the US military-as family, friends, and those sent home from Iraq, dig in to help the people of Iraq.

*US Troops-are working to rebuild, repair, repaint-schools, hospitals, and official buildings. On their off time, many of the troops have worked to fix parks for the kids to play sports in. The medical corps continues to supplement the Iraqi medical workers, especially with sharing medicines and supplies.

*Security and Diplomacy-the police are gaining skills, demonstrated by the rescue of Jordanian hostages. People are beginning to see the police as professionals, instead of an arm of the leadership. NATO is sending troops to help train the Iraqi military/police leadership in modern tactics.

 

[UsaPride]

Thank you Kat!! I've been missing some good news!!

 

[Annie]

Thank you Kat!! I've been missing some good news!!

Anytime! We all need some!

 

[wade]

And we can make up more fantasies any time. So lets just pretend it's going well and not pay any attention to what is really going on.

Bloody civil war is comming. I don't think much can stop it. I give it one, maybe two more months... and it could well start any day now.

Wade.

 

[jimnyc]

And we can make up more fantasies any time.

Do you have anything to directly dispute what was stated?

Has healthcare availability not increased?
Were 6 new power stations not brought online?
Is infrastructure not being rebuilt?
Is there not plenty of humanitarian aid going into Iraq?
Is it not true what the soldiers are doing for the parks, schools & hospitals?
Are the police not being trained properly?

Please cite specific and direct proof to refute these claims and show us they are just 'fantasies' and that they are made up.

 

[wade]

No, that is not the point. The few positive, and likely temporary "positive" changes in Iraq are overwhelmed by the negatives. The peace in Iraq is not going well. Putting on rose colored glasses is not going to change that.

Wade.

 

[Annie]

No, that is not the point. The few positive, and likely temporary "positive" changes in Iraq are overwhelmed by the negatives. The peace in Iraq is not going well. Putting on rose colored glasses is not going to change that.

Wade.

WTF are you rambling about? The negatives are being reported by the minute. This was a roundup of the 'good things'. WTF is your point?

 

[wade]

The point is these few "good things" are irrelevant. Giving them relevance is foolishness. They mean nothing if the peace is not secured, and secured soon, which it does not appear is going to happen.

Wade.

 

[jimnyc]

The point is these few "good things" are irrelevant. Giving them relevance is foolishness. They mean nothing if the peace is not secured, and secured soon, which it does not appear is going to happen.

Wade.

I guess that should be the same here in America then, huh?

With all the immigration issues, murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, bankruptcy, prison problems.... There would be no need to ever mention the wonderful things that happen in our nation. I guess they're irrelevant since other problems currently exist.

Bottom line, good news from a country that is slowly rebuilding their infrastructure and building a democracy IS relevant. Acting as if they don't exist is what is foolish.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

The point is these few "good things" are irrelevant. Giving them relevance is foolishness. They mean nothing if the peace is not secured, and secured soon, which it does not appear is going to happen.

Wade.

That's right wade. Intelligent people only focus on bad news, right? That way they can remain more balanced. Is this your theory? Actually your attitude skews your outlook and life and your very morality, because you lose your ability to discern between good and evil when you refuse to acknowledge the very notion of polarity.

 

[UsaPride]

Bottom line, good news from a country that is slowly rebuilding their infrastructure and building a democracy IS relevant. Acting as if they don't exist is what is foolish.

 

[wade]

That's right wade. Intelligent people only focus on bad news, right? That way they can remain more balanced. Is this your theory? Actually your attitude skews your outlook and life and your very morality, because you lose your ability to discern between good and evil when you refuse to acknowledge the very notion of polarity.

It's kind of like saying:

The good news is we finally got food to the starving.

The bad news is they all died of thirst a week before the food arrived.

The problem is the "good news" is made irrelevant by the bad news. I seriously doubt one drop of increased oil production will flow out of Iraq over the next 3 years, if ever. That they got a few wells running again is pretty much irrelevant.

So many things are going wrong in Iraq that pointing to a few, most likely temporary, incidents of "progress" is just silly. Kinda like saying the sprinkler system in the yard is working, but the house just burned down.

Intelligent people look the importance of events and account them there proper weights in evaluating something. This "good news" post does not do that.

Wade.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

It's kind of like saying:

The good news is we finally got food to the starving.

The bad news is they all died of thirst a week before the food arrived.

Not at all. You're saying our improvements are totally meaningless with this absurd analogy. You disrespect all our men who have died there with this wicked lie.

The problem is the "good news" is made irrelevant by the bad news. I seriously doubt one drop of increased oil production will flow out of Iraq over the next 3 years, if ever. That they got a few wells running again is pretty much irrelevant.

There are vast infrastructure and utility improvements all over the nation. Government agencies are up and running. Businesses are popping up. Your negativity crosses into the realm of deceitful evil.

So many things are going wrong in Iraq that pointing to a few, most likely temporary, incidents of "progress" is just silly. Kinda like saying the sprinkler system in the yard is working, but the house just burned down.

Intelligent people look the importance of events and account them there proper weights in evaluating something. This "good news" post does not do that.

Wade.

Yes Priority is important and the most important improvement is that people are more free than they were and tyranny is beaten back one more notch.

God Bless America! Bush/Cheney '04

 

[wade]

Yes Priority is important and the most important improvement is that people are more free than they were and tyranny is beaten back one more notch.

But that is the point. They really don't see it that way. To them, being forced to accept a Western style "democracy" is just another form of Tyranny.

Wade.

 

[Annie]

But that is the point. They really don't see it that way. To them, being forced to accept a Western style "democracy" is just another form of Tyranny.

Wade.

Every poll, now literally hundreds of Iraqi bloggers, are saying different. What are you using as sources?

 

[wade]

Every poll, now literally hundreds of Iraqi bloggers, are saying different. What are you using as sources?

I can see you have no personal experiance with Arabs. I do. You cannot trust anything they say, especially polls. They will always give the answer they think the pollers want to hear.

Having worked with dozens of Iranians, Pakistanis, and a good smattering of other Arabs, I can tell you these people lie as a matter of form.

Wade.

 

[Annie]

I can see you have no personal experiance with Arabs. I do. You cannot trust anything they say, especially polls. They will always give the answer they think the pollers want to hear.

Having worked with dozens of Iranians, Pakistanis, and a good smattering of other Arabs, I can tell you these people lie as a matter of form.

Wade.

So your message to us, 'don't believe the Iraqis, believe me! I'll tell you what they really think!'

Go to H.

 

[wade]

So your message to us, 'don't believe the Iraqis, believe me! I'll tell you what they really think!'

Go to H.

I'm telling you that you can count on them saying what they think you want to hear, and not meaning a word of it.

I have seen it time and again, at many levels, from personal to business to politics. Always the same.

Therefore, polls of Iraqi opinion carried out by US agencies or press are totally meaningless.

Wade.

 

[Annie]

I'm telling you that you can count on them saying what they think you want to hear, and not meaning a word of it.

I have seen it time and again, at many levels, from personal to business to politics. Always the same.

Therefore, polls of Iraqi opinion carried out by US agencies or press are totally meaningless.

Wade.

Yep, heard you correctly the first time.

 

[wade]

Notice the oil progress you refered to is now gone?

Wade.