On Good Counsel
Ok, I promised to re-visit the "What's next for Iraq?" issue with an answer and not just criticism. So I will, and I have my good friend's commentary to thank for the inspiration.
We need to reach back into history and see that a parliamentary system is the best way to wean a society away from dictatorship. English history should be our model instead of our own warped ideas about the Founding Fathers creation of democracy ex nihilo. When England began experimenting with democracy, the king retained a great deal of the power. Parliament could advise initially, then later gained control of the purse. Actual policy decisions were left to the executive for several hundred years or more. Now, we see a strong Parliament in England that did not spring up overnight. What happened in France was a wholesale destruction of the executive branch, and the result was nightmarish.
So, my proposal would be to create a Parliament but make it quite clear that the executive branch will hold the most power. Somebody has to make the decisions, and somebody has to be accountable to the minority groups. It is much easier to hold a Prime Minister accountable than a deliberative body. If that Prime Minister was charged with maintaining the peace and safety of every citizen, and then given the power to do so, minority groups may feel more at ease. Something has to preserve their rights, and although dictators are bad people who abuse power, they also prevent wholesale slaughter that leads to great unrest. It is in their best interests to be the sole agitator, so dictators never allow for two groups to obliterate each other. This dynamic will be missing in the early days of the Iraqi republic. A strong Prime Minister leading a large parliament will maintain some sense of continuity in society and encourage peace.
If freedom is to keep on the march, it needs to keep its wits about it. There is nothing natural about democracy. Every democratic nation on the globe today has only arrived there through great trial and countless mistakes. We forget this as Americans, being the inheritors of English common law and tradition. If only we had a few kings and military coups in our history, we would see how difficult a task we face in Iraq.
We need to reach back into history and see that a parliamentary system is the best way to wean a society away from dictatorship. English history should be our model instead of our own warped ideas about the Founding Fathers creation of democracy ex nihilo. When England began experimenting with democracy, the king retained a great deal of the power. Parliament could advise initially, then later gained control of the purse. Actual policy decisions were left to the executive for several hundred years or more. Now, we see a strong Parliament in England that did not spring up overnight. What happened in France was a wholesale destruction of the executive branch, and the result was nightmarish.
So, my proposal would be to create a Parliament but make it quite clear that the executive branch will hold the most power. Somebody has to make the decisions, and somebody has to be accountable to the minority groups. It is much easier to hold a Prime Minister accountable than a deliberative body. If that Prime Minister was charged with maintaining the peace and safety of every citizen, and then given the power to do so, minority groups may feel more at ease. Something has to preserve their rights, and although dictators are bad people who abuse power, they also prevent wholesale slaughter that leads to great unrest. It is in their best interests to be the sole agitator, so dictators never allow for two groups to obliterate each other. This dynamic will be missing in the early days of the Iraqi republic. A strong Prime Minister leading a large parliament will maintain some sense of continuity in society and encourage peace.
If freedom is to keep on the march, it needs to keep its wits about it. There is nothing natural about democracy. Every democratic nation on the globe today has only arrived there through great trial and countless mistakes. We forget this as Americans, being the inheritors of English common law and tradition. If only we had a few kings and military coups in our history, we would see how difficult a task we face in Iraq.
posted by matt at 5:12 PM
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