From preliminary reports, it appears that they had a 72% voter turnout, as I'm sure you've heard on news reports. To me, that number is staggering. We can hardly get 50% in a presidential election here in the safety and comfort of the US of A, and the Iraqis, when given their chance, under all their hardships, come out with nearly 3/4ths turnout. (We should be ashamed of our voter turnout.)
With a family having escaped to the US from an oppressed communist country, I find that very few people in the US truly understand what it means to be free and to have the opportunities they have here. And it really warms my heart to see how people who've been oppressed take every opportunity they can for pushing towards a democratic and relatively free state.
Just a WOT comment on my feelings. :-)
-Chris
WOT: Iraqi Elections
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stuartinmn
- Posts: 9464
- Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
- Location: Minneapolis
That's good news. I haven't turned on the news yet this morning so I was wondering how it was going to go. A lot of people were saying no one would show up, guess they were wrong.
On the local news last night they talked to several Iraqis living here who had absentee voted. They had to drive from Minneapolis to Chicago to register, then make the drive a second time to actually vote. They were pretty happy this day had come.
On the local news last night they talked to several Iraqis living here who had absentee voted. They had to drive from Minneapolis to Chicago to register, then make the drive a second time to actually vote. They were pretty happy this day had come.
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Mark 88/M5 Houston
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Blue Shadow
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- Location: SE PA
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Guest
[QUOTE="cgraff"]From preliminary reports, it appears that they had a 72% voter turnout, as I'm sure you've heard on news reports. To me, that number is staggering. We can hardly get 50% in a presidential election here in the safety and comfort of the US of A, and the Iraqis, when given their chance, under all their hardships, come out with nearly 3/4ths turnout. (We should be ashamed of our voter turnout.)
With a family having escaped to the US from an oppressed communist country, I find that very few people in the US truly understand what it means to be free and to have the opportunities they have here. And it really warms my heart to see how people who've been oppressed take every opportunity they can for pushing towards a democratic and relatively free state.
Just a WOT comment on my feelings. :-)
-Chris[/QUOTE]
Without commenting on the foreign election, let me say that the voting levels here are indicating that about 30% of the electorate wants the R wing of the American Statist Party and 30% will vote for the D wing of the American Statist Party and 40% are voting for none of the above by staying away from the polls. Not voting is a vote.
With a family having escaped to the US from an oppressed communist country, I find that very few people in the US truly understand what it means to be free and to have the opportunities they have here. And it really warms my heart to see how people who've been oppressed take every opportunity they can for pushing towards a democratic and relatively free state.
Just a WOT comment on my feelings. :-)
-Chris[/QUOTE]
Without commenting on the foreign election, let me say that the voting levels here are indicating that about 30% of the electorate wants the R wing of the American Statist Party and 30% will vote for the D wing of the American Statist Party and 40% are voting for none of the above by staying away from the polls. Not voting is a vote.
Well right now my sister's fiance (Army Ranger) and my girlfriend's best friend (Anti-Tank Marine) are both safeguarding the elections.
My sister's fiance has been in Iraq for about 13 months now, and says that over 80% of his original platoon is either dead or severely wounded. Yet he says it wasn't until these elections that he is genuinely scared for his life.
My sister's fiance has been in Iraq for about 13 months now, and says that over 80% of his original platoon is either dead or severely wounded. Yet he says it wasn't until these elections that he is genuinely scared for his life.
[QUOTE="cgraff"]From preliminary reports, it appears that they had a 72% voter turnout,
-Chris[/QUOTE]
Looks like [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/MAR055907.htm] voter turn out has been revised downward[/url], and I expect it to become something like 40% when all is said and done, and verified by disinterested third parties.
-Chris[/QUOTE]
Looks like [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/MAR055907.htm] voter turn out has been revised downward[/url], and I expect it to become something like 40% when all is said and done, and verified by disinterested third parties.
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Blue Shadow
- Posts: 10284
- Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
- Location: SE PA
Yeah, we'll see in 1-2 weeks what the official results will be. But like I said before, that was quoting preliminary estimates immediately after the close of pools. (Which have been revised to 60%, BTW, and we won't know until the results are in anyway....that is why I said "preliminary.") And we all know how reliable exit polls are..... ahem...Ohio...ahem...Kerry. 
BTW.
Your statement has a logical fallacy (and shortsighted). I'll let you figure it out. :-O
And Tjn182, I wish your family and friends the best of luck. I for one and grateful and lucky to have good people defending the US and us out there.
-Chris
[Edit by cgraff on [TIME]1107135979[/TIME]]
BTW.
Without commenting on the foreign election, let me say that the voting levels here are indicating that about 30% of the electorate wants the R wing of the American Statist Party and 30% will vote for the D wing of the American Statist Party and 40% are voting for none of the above by staying away from the polls. Not voting is a vote.
Your statement has a logical fallacy (and shortsighted). I'll let you figure it out. :-O
And Tjn182, I wish your family and friends the best of luck. I for one and grateful and lucky to have good people defending the US and us out there.
-Chris
[Edit by cgraff on [TIME]1107135979[/TIME]]
Yeah, we'll see in 1-2 weeks what the official results will be. But like I said before, that was quoting preliminary estimates immediately after the close of pools. (Which have been revised to 60%, BTW, and we won't know until the results are in anyway....that is why I said "preliminary.") And we all know how reliable exit polls are..... ahem...Ohio...ahem...Kerry.
BTW.
Your statement has a logical fallacy (and shortsighted). I'll let you figure it out. :-O
And Tjn182, I wish your family and friends the best of luck. I for one and grateful and lucky to have good people defending the US and us out there.
-Chris
[Edit by cgraff on [TIME]1107135979[/TIME]]
BTW.
Without commenting on the foreign election, let me say that the voting levels here are indicating that about 30% of the electorate wants the R wing of the American Statist Party and 30% will vote for the D wing of the American Statist Party and 40% are voting for none of the above by staying away from the polls. Not voting is a vote.
Your statement has a logical fallacy (and shortsighted). I'll let you figure it out. :-O
And Tjn182, I wish your family and friends the best of luck. I for one and grateful and lucky to have good people defending the US and us out there.
-Chris
[Edit by cgraff on [TIME]1107135979[/TIME]]
It's only a fallacy if you believe in the spreading of democracy via the gun barrel, Chris. I do not, and neither did the founding fathers. I suggest the Paleolibertarian War site every day. for an accurate picture of the Iraqi invasion, attempted conquest, and attempted occupation. You could try Lew Rockwell which is a Jeffersonian philosophically, and of the Austrian School of Economics. There's much to learn if you're interested.cgraff wrote:Yeah, we'll see in 1-2 weeks what the official results will be. But like I said before, that was quoting preliminary estimates immediately after the close of pools. (Which have been revised to 60%, BTW, and we won't know until the results are in anyway....that is why I said "preliminary.") And we all know how reliable exit polls are..... ahem...Ohio...ahem...Kerry.
BTW.
Your statement has a logical fallacy (and shortsighted). I'll let you figure it out. :-O
And Tjn182, I wish your family and friends the best of luck. I for one and grateful and lucky to have good people defending the US and us out there.
-Chris
[Edit by cgraff on [TIME]1107135979[/TIME]]
Hmm....I seem to have struck a nerve.
1. You never (attempted to) correct your logical fallacy, and it IS a logical fallacy in your argument; perhaps you misunderstood my slightly tongue in cheek attempt at pointing it out.
2. Unless you have lived through oppression and regimes, or have had family and friends die for a right cause or in wars, or have any personal experience, or really understand or experienced or know the nature of people in politics such as these (both our and other governments including regimes), refrain from making these sort of unbecoming comments to me about "attempting conquest" and "occupation".
-Chris
P.S. I can shoot holes (pardon the pun) through just about any argument anyone can muster, but it would be simply a waste of my time.
It just seems sad that you feel like shooting me down when I was merely stating how happy I was with the ideological significance of the results of a world event.
It's only a fallacy if you believe in the spreading of democracy via the gun barrel, Chris. I do not, and neither did the founding fathers. I suggest the Paleolibertarian War site every day. for an accurate picture of the Iraqi invasion, attempted conquest, and attempted occupation. You could try Lew Rockwell which is a Jeffersonian philosophically, and of the Austrian School of Economics. There's much to learn if you're interested.
1. You never (attempted to) correct your logical fallacy, and it IS a logical fallacy in your argument; perhaps you misunderstood my slightly tongue in cheek attempt at pointing it out.
2. Unless you have lived through oppression and regimes, or have had family and friends die for a right cause or in wars, or have any personal experience, or really understand or experienced or know the nature of people in politics such as these (both our and other governments including regimes), refrain from making these sort of unbecoming comments to me about "attempting conquest" and "occupation".
-Chris
P.S. I can shoot holes (pardon the pun) through just about any argument anyone can muster, but it would be simply a waste of my time.
It just seems sad that you feel like shooting me down when I was merely stating how happy I was with the ideological significance of the results of a world event.
You're wrong on both counts, Chris, but this forum isn't, in my opinion, the place to discuss why. If you'll take a look at the URL's I gave you, you'll learn why the events in Iraq aren 't significant in any meaningful way, except to certain neo-conservatives in the Pentagon.Hmm....I seem to have struck a nerve.
It just seems sad that you feel like shooting me down when I was merely stating how happy I was with the ideological significance of the results of a world event.
Let's end this now.