Patri's Journal: Current
This is Patri's current journal. It is kept on LiveJournal as patrissimo, but you are reading the archived copy on patrifriedman.com.
Iraq getting more or less free? (comment on this entry at LiveJournal)
Entry Date: 2004-07-21 18:11:00
Logged: 2004-07-21 18:14:32
Current Mood:
Current Music: The Crystal Method-Community Service-Orbital - Funny Break (One Is Enough) (Plump DJ's Mix)
(also posted on NT)
When I argue with pro-war people, they all seem to assume that Iraq will be freer and better off as a democracy than under Saddam. They seem to be missing a very important point, which is that Saddam was a secular dictator, who was (for the Middle East) relatively pro-education, pro-female rights, pro-freedom and progressive. Now Iraq is becoming a religious democracy, strongly influenced by radical Islam. These ignorant hawks assume that Iraqi dictatorship was repressive of all freedoms (perhaps based on Russian dictatorship?), when it was extremely repressive only of political freedom. They assume that Iraqi democracy will be progressive and egalitarian (perhaps based on first-world democracies), when it may well turn out to be repressive and patriarchal.
Now, it may be that the gains outweigh the losses, and Iraq will get more free. I think there is a decent chance of this. But I also expect the difference to be far smaller than the naive viewpoint. As an example, consider this article about the change in tolerance for alcohol. Alcohol was widely accepted during the Saddam era, and now in "Free Iraq" liquor stores are being blown up by fundamentalists. This could just be due to temporary civil disorder which will end when the police get the upper hand. Or perhaps it will be the police who enforce prohibition.
Don't assume that Dictatorship -> Democracy increases all freedoms.
Up to Patri's Current Journal Index
Up to Patri's Journal Archives