My brother and I are on opposite ends of the political spectrum. We TRY to have civilized conversations, mostly over e-mail. Yet each of us fails repeatedly to win the other over.
The latest thing my brother sends me is this editorial about how rosy is the picture in Iraq. At this time, I feel like giving up. He will never see much wrong with Bush or his brilliant policies for the war on terra, the economy or tax "relief."
Is it possible to help my brother see the CHAOS in Iraq, that will so likely lead to civil war, a blood bath, followed by some sort of strong-man leadership, either a theocracy or dictatorship?
So I'm asking for your advice on what to say to my brother. I'm running out of ideas myself.
Here are some excerpts from the wonderfully enlightening article sent by my brother. Can you help me with a response?
link http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/04/01/what_has_gone_right_in_i
raq/
What has gone right in Iraq
By Jeff Jacoby, 4/1/2004
But they were wrong all along. Operation Iraqi Freedom stands as one of the great humanitarian achievements of modern times. For all the Bush administration's mistakes and miscalculations, for all the monumental challenges that remain, Iraq is vastly better off today than it was before the war.
With hard work and a little luck, it may soon be the best governed as well. The interim constitution approved by the Iraqi Governing Council protects freedom of speech and assembly, guarantees the right to privacy, ensures equality for women, and subordinates the military to civilian control. It is, hands down, the most progressive constitution in the Arab Middle East.
Nearly a year after the fall of Baghdad, Iraq is hugely improved. Unemployment has been cut in half. Wages are climbing. The devastated southern marshlands are being restored. More Iraqis own cars and telephones than before Saddam was ousted. Some 2,500 schools have been rehabbed by the US-headed coalition. Spending on health care has soared thirtyfold, and millions of Iraqi children have been vaccinated. Iraqi athletes, no longer terrorized by Saddam's sadistic son Uday, are training for the summer Olympics in Greece.
Above all, Iraq's people are free. The horror and cruelty of the Saddam era are gone forever. In the 12 months since the American and British troops arrived, not one body has been added to a secret mass grave. Not one woman has been raped on government orders. Not one dissident has been mauled to death by trained killer dogs. Not one Kurdish village has been gassed.