Thursday, July 06, 2006
How I spent Independence Day
On the anniversary of our nations 230th year of independence I was helping another fledgling democracy gain enough confidence to act with independence. I spent the day with some members of the local city council. Their concerns were addressed and solutions were offered. One of the things that is a difficult concept to impart is the one were they do the governance bit on their own. They are a fledgling council, but they are coming around. One of the hard things for them to do is to communicate with their higher governance. Just as I would do in my military chain of command, they too must go through their chain. Unfortunately there is some reluctance because of the brutal regime that Saddam ran; these folks think that force is always necessary and that the only way things will get done is if the Americans do them. We are working hard to show them that there are other ways of doing business. I am hopeful that they will learn something in the few short months I have left here…
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4 comments:
Well, baby steps are still steps. I think it is noble that Americans are willing to walk a foreign government through the process of democracy, even at the cost of their own lives. Keep up the great work, and be confident that even though slow, the process will work.
Remind your guys - daily - that they are awesome and appreciated!
MR
After 30 plus years of a brutal dictatorship, I can appreciate the mentality that you are experiencing with the Iraqis. If a child only knows violence, that is what the child/adult will emulate. Hopefully over time, a new way of solving problems will emerge from the ravishes of the Saddam legacy. Keep up the good work! Although all miss you and wish you God speed and a safe return.
Sounds like you were doing something a lot more worthwhile than most of us were probably doing!
Keep up the good work! There are many people who understand and care!
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