Is Iraq is a “theocracy” or a “democracy”?

[rdean]

From the Constitution of Iraq:

Article 2:
First: Islam is the official religion of the State and it is a fundamental source of legislation:
A. No law that contradicts the established provisions of Islam may be established.

Full Text of Iraqi Constitution - washingtonpost.com

Definition of Democracy:

The democratic method is one in which people campaign competitively for the people's votes to achieve the power to make public decisions.

Democracy - Dictionary Definition of Democracy

Definition of Theocracy:

Theocracy - the belief in government by divine guidance

A state ruled by religious authority (See Article 2 of
The Iraqi constitution)

theocracy - definition of theocracy by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Republicans insist that because Iraq votes, then it’s a democracy.

Iran votes. Does that make it a “democracy”?

Why is Iraq different than Iran when clearly both see that the government is to be formed around the Islamic religion?

 

[rdean]

Republicans keep insisting Iraq is free and a democracy even though the evidence clearly shows they are a theocracy. Worse, they hate us. We armed a country that calls for our destruction. How can this be considered a "success"?

 

[blu]

barbaric theocracy to the extreme

 

[DiamondDave]

What people who are not like you 'think' is that Iraq was a freely set up government by their own making, that has a democratic process for the election of officials that was set up in a way that the people of Iraq saw fit.... they are not a theocracy nor are they a pure democracy... but a constitutional republic style of country/government that is not some mirror image of our government

The majority of people in Iraq do not 'hate us', nor does the government that is in existence 'hate us'...

 

[slackjawed]

from;
Constitution of Iraq - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"The current constitution was approved by a referendum that took place on 15 October 2005. The constitution was drafted in 2005 by members of the Iraqi Constitution Drafting Committee to replace the Law of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period (the "TAL"). The TAL was drafted between December 2003 and March 2004 by the Iraqi Governing Council, an appointed body that was selected by the Coalition Provisional Authority after the Iraq War and occupation of Iraq by the United States and Coalition forces."


It appears that the issue of what type of government to have was put to a vote, and the voters in iraq chose to institute a theocracy, and did it by democratic methods.

ironic to say the least

 

[saveliberty]

What it is now won't matter much, once we leave. It will become a strongman dominated government driven by religious views.

 

[slackjawed]

What it is now won't matter much, once we leave. It will become a strongman dominated government driven by religious views.

Will we really totally leave or will we maintain a presence there until the end of time, like Germany, Japan and Korea?

 

[rdean]

What people who are not like you 'think' is that Iraq was a freely set up government by their own making, that has a democratic process for the election of officials that was set up in a way that the people of Iraq saw fit.... they are not a theocracy nor are they a pure democracy... but a constitutional republic style of country/government that is not some mirror image of our government

The majority of people in Iraq do not 'hate us', nor does the government that is in existence 'hate us'...

Then when is "America Appreciation Day"?

Why have nearly a million "Christians" disappeared from Iraq?

 

[saveliberty]

What it is now won't matter much, once we leave. It will become a strongman dominated government driven by religious views.

Will we really totally leave or will we maintain a presence there until the end of time, like Germany, Japan and Korea?

I'm thinking more in terms of the end in Vietnam.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Who cares? Lets just get the h*ll out of there. In fact why don't we dramatically scale back our presence across the entire Middle East? We don't understand those kooks and they don't understand us. We only want to buy their oil. So lets keep buying their oil but stay out of their internal affairs. Arabs are insane. They always have been. I don't care how many call me a racist either. The Arabs are a violent & irrational people. Look at the Kurds in Iraq. They don't want anything to do with the Arabs anymore. They understand more than anyone that the Arabs have an unquenchable blood-thirst. Lets just scale back dramatically over there.

 

[DiamondDave]

What people who are not like you 'think' is that Iraq was a freely set up government by their own making, that has a democratic process for the election of officials that was set up in a way that the people of Iraq saw fit.... they are not a theocracy nor are they a pure democracy... but a constitutional republic style of country/government that is not some mirror image of our government

The majority of people in Iraq do not 'hate us', nor does the government that is in existence 'hate us'...

Then when is "America Appreciation Day"?

Why have nearly a million "Christians" disappeared from Iraq?

You been there?? No any soldiers there? Any family serving or working there?? Or even know anyone that has immigrated from there? Funny, I get a lot straight from the horse's mouth.... you assume without any knowledge whatsoever

You don't need a day of appreciation to dictate that people 'like you'

And as for your little christian remark... you love to bring that in, no matter how much your bullshit assertion has no place in the argument at hand

 

[Dr.Traveler]

Why is Iraq different than Iran when clearly both see that the government is to be formed around the Islamic religion?

In Iran all political parties and candidates require approval by religious authorities. In my book, that qualifies it as a theocracy as it means that political power is still held by the religious groups.

I'm not sure about Iraq. I do not consider it a true democracy, but that has a great deal to do with the fact that political parties there break down along sectarian lines. That kind of division in anthema to a healthy democracy.

 

[Mr Natural]

It's nothing more than a huge and costly obligation that we got ourselves saddled with probably forever.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Arabs are insane. The Kurds in Iraq understand this as do most people in Afghanistan. They have a long history of an unquenchable blood-thirst. I'll probably be called a racist & bigot but i just call it the truth. Lets just get the h*ll out of the Middle East completely. We don't understand those loons and they don't understand us. So why are we still there? Hmm?

 

[California Girl]

It is their business, not ours.

 

[blu]

It is their business, not ours.

why is this always your cop out to avoid discussion?

on controversial issues that specific states have:

"its the states decision and we don't live there so we shouldn't care"

on this:
"its iraqs decision and we don't live there so we shouldn't care"

you realize this is a discussion board right?

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Arabs are blood-thirsty loons. Do we really need to discuss this further? Lets just get the H*ll out of the Middle East completely.

 

[rdean]

It is their business, not ours.

Over 4 thousand Americans dead, over 47 thousand injured or crippled, 3 trillion dollars gone, contracts and treaties making us pay for years.

Somebody made it our business, wouldn't you say?

 

[California Girl]

It is their business, not ours.

Over 4 thousand Americans dead, over 47 thousand injured or crippled, 3 trillion dollars gone, contracts and treaties making us pay for years.

Somebody made it our business, wouldn't you say?

Then how come we don't have any interest in the politics of, say, France? Cuz we sacrificed for their freedom too.... and, to the best of my knowledge, we don't tell them how to run their country.

It's not our business. We did NOT take their country away from them. We liberated it. Big difference.

You keep on whining about the Iraqi constitution. It is THEIR Constitution.... not ours. It is THEIR country, not ours.

 

[rdean]

What people who are not like you 'think' is that Iraq was a freely set up government by their own making, that has a democratic process for the election of officials that was set up in a way that the people of Iraq saw fit.... they are not a theocracy nor are they a pure democracy... but a constitutional republic style of country/government that is not some mirror image of our government

The majority of people in Iraq do not 'hate us', nor does the government that is in existence 'hate us'...

Then when is "America Appreciation Day"?

Why have nearly a million "Christians" disappeared from Iraq?

You been there?? No any soldiers there? Any family serving or working there?? Or even know anyone that has immigrated from there? Funny, I get a lot straight from the horse's mouth.... you assume without any knowledge whatsoever

You don't need a day of appreciation to dictate that people 'like you'

And as for your little christian remark... you love to bring that in, no matter how much your bullshit assertion has no place in the argument at hand

That's the problem. By making Iraq a Fundamentalist Hard Right Islamic society, Christians have no place in the argument.

We went in, found no WMDs, an old and tired military and a secular government.

We leave behind the type of military we thought they had when we went in, only now, they are a hard right, extreme Islamic government. Which is what we have been fighting in the Middle East for years.

And Republicans say we are a success. How can that be?