Here's an interesting
history of Iraqi democracy by [humor]one-time Cincinati Reds outfielder Eric Davis[/humor]. He contends that it is not out of the question that Iraq be successful in building a democratic state. It seems to me that if they avoid the trap of an overly powerful central state and leave as much power as they can in the localities, with the various minorities, they may have a chance. The big question, I suppose is whether the Shi'a crowd is radicalized beyond redemption. I hearby request UT suspend his political hiatus since this is a question of history not politics.