"You can't give democracy." (being a report of a socio-political discussion)

[derien]

D.S.  (a co-worker) and I ended up in a conversation with a police sergeant from a neighboring town, today, who, it turned out, had been in Iraq with another of our co-workers in the reserves.  This police sergeant served as a First Sergeant training Iraqi military.  Quite interesting - and amusing, the way he told it, though I'm sure it was a little frustrating for him while he was there.  I'm sure I won't be able to reproduce the way he told these stories, but here's the short version. 



They have a completely voluntary military - they don't demand contracts like the U.S. military does.  Probably because they just can't, they wouldn't have anyone.  The guys who join the Iraqi military only do so because they want to protect their own village or neighborhood, and if they don't want to play anymore they just leave, so they really can't be deployed to any other part of the country.  If they don't want to go anything, they really can't be forced. 

Iraqi trainee: "We can't do any more today.  It's too hot." 

First Sergeant: "Well, let's go do something inside in the air conditioning." 

Iraqi trainee: "No, the air conditioning uses too much electricity, don't turn it on.  We'll just be done for the day." 

If they don't want to clean the barracks they say "If God wills it, it will get cleaned." 

And when they go to practice firing a machine gun, the results are often abysmal, said the Sergeant - they close their eyes and pull the trigger. 

First Sergeant: "There are no holes in the target!"

Iraqi trainee: "It wasn't God's will that the bullets should hit.  If God wills it, I will hit my enemy."

One of the things that surprised the Sergeant the most was that, when the pay truck was late one payday (because they of course have to pay in cash, there being no banking infrastructure), the troops were getting ready to riot, so they called in the local police.  The local Iraqi police came in and set up their guns, instantly ready to mow down the local troops without the least qualm.  He couldn't understand it at all, how they could be so calm about the prospect of having to shoot their own countrymen. 

After he left DS and I continued to discuss it - he was completely blown away by the very different mindset.  We talked about tribal versus national identity and how religion often shapes people's thoughts about goals and work, intentionally or unintentionally (and I make no judgments about rightness or wrongness as far as that goes). 

Finally he came out with (something like), "Why are we there?  What made us think that we could go in and give people democracy?  You can't give people something they don't want.  And they don't want it because they aren't even coming from anything like the same place as far as how they look at the world, so they're not even interested.  We should have known that before we went in there!  Who wasn't doing their homework?!" 

And I said, "That's what I've been wondering since this war started.  Why's it our business?  I just couldn't see it working.  Oh I suppose if we were focused and organized and consistent, and we occupied for twenty years, we might make some small amount of change, but it's just silly to think that we're going to do that.  This administration can't get organized, we'll change administrations soon and that won't make for consistency.  Hell, our society is completely unable to focus on anything for longer than a few months - all our businesses worry about is quarterly earnings.  I don't see this happening." 



Anyway.  Other than that, boring day. 

Comments

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

"If God wills it, it will get cleaned."

Ha ha! I must remember that one!
Good story.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I totally think they were yanking the First Sergeant's chain. :)

[(Anonymous)]

and of course .....other people aren't fools ...they know the difference between real democracy and "our brand' of whatever the hellitis that we are really up to.
LTA