I happened to catch a little of a program on the History Channel this morning on the occupation of Germany following the allied victory in WW II. Even after the Nazis were defeated, there were repeated attacks against the allied forces. These were dealt with very harshly. The Americans lined up guerrillas before a firing squad. The British beheaded the resisters. The French leveled a city with artillery. The Soviets rounded up 200 male residents of a city and had them shot. Thousands of German officers and Nazi officials were imprisoned. Even with these inhuman responses, attacks against the occupying forces continued for three years after the downfall of the Nazi party. What really grabbed my attention was when the narrator said that it took ten years for democracy to be established in West Germany.
The program went on to make comparisons with the defeat Sadaam Hussein and the occupation of Iraq. That got me thinking, if it took ten years to build a democracy in Germany following about 10 years of dictatorship, how long will it take to build one in Iraq after 40 years of dictatorship?
I see the response of the majority of Americans to the occupation of Iraq as yet another contrast between "the greatest generation" and my own. Americans today have come to expect immediate results. For many three years is far too long to wait for the radical changes needed in Iraq to take place. We have failed to learn the lessons of history, our own as well as other democracies, that freedom from tyranny is a slow and difficult process.
Will Iraq be able to establish and maintain a democratic form of governance? I don't know. I'm am pretty well convinced that it will take longer than most of us are willing to wait.
i'm convinced of the same as well. my brother came and did a little presentation for our youth group. one of the things that struck me was that he said that we are not 'rebuilding' Iraq. but that we are actually 'building' Iraq. he went on to say that only in the palaces and places of saddam's pleasing was money put into making it more than a third world county. many of the towns he had pictures from had sewage running through the streets because there had never been an attempt to put in plumbing.
i like how this show addressed the fear. in reading 'between two worlds' a woman's account in the family circle (but not immediate family) of saddam she discribes many accounts where families would be in fear of saying what was on their mind as many houses were bugged and siblings & spouses were known to turn each other into the authorities for undermining the govt. thus put to death.
it takes generations to grow from that type of fear. people over there are still afraid of each other, the people down the street, the neighbors, us, and the other tribes of people. no wonder their democratic process takes so long. we should be patient, or atleast understanding that this will take longer than anyone these days really wants to put in the time
Posted by: gavin | April 24, 2006 at 09:50 AM