The wrong side of history?

After what can only be described as exceptional Shi'ite and Kurdish turnout for the Iraqi election, all of us anti war types are forced to re-examine our response to this war and ask ourselves- are we going to be on the wrong side of history?

Even with all the distortions, misinformation and outright lies of this administration; even with the collosal bungling of the post war phase of the operation; and even though this administration at first opposed early, open elections but was forced into them by the eminence grise of Iraqi politics, Sheik Sistani, if Iraq becomes a stable, functioning Middle Eastern democracy, then most people will see this war as a success. But lets not get ahead of ourselves. We've been here before, kind of:

U.S. Encouraged by Vietnam Vote :
Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror

by Peter Grose, Special to the New York Times (9/4/1967: p. 2)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3-- United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in South Vietnam's presidential election despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting.

According to reports from Saigon, 83 per cent of the 5.85 million registered voters cast their ballots yesterday. Many of them risked reprisals threatened by the Vietcong.

The size of the popular vote and the inability of the Vietcong to destroy the election machinery were the two salient facts in a preliminary assessment of the nation election based on the incomplete returns reaching here.

Mardi Gras recap...

...or what I can remember, anyway. Last Tuesday, the streets of Eunice, Louisiana were filled with the sites and sound of the traditional Cajun Mardi Gras. (For those of you who have never experienced this, the sights- drunken half wits vomiting off the backs of horses. The sounds- retching, mostly.) Fat Tuesday is as good as excuse as any to dress in rags, drink whiskey at 7 am, and hump the 25 clicks or so that is the Courier de Mardi Gras de Eunice. What? It doesn't sound like fun to you? Well you ain't lived till you've had 3 buzzes by noon, my friend. It's everything an all day drunk should be. Once again (my 15th year or so ) we (Shannon, Alicia and twenty or thirty of our lushiest friends) rode on the Pas Bon wagon (a head start bus converted to a movable debauch). For the second year, the house band on the bus was T- Sale' , so we had some happening music happening right in front of us. The Lost Bayou Ramblers and the Red Stick Ramblers were the official bands of the run, so there was no escaping from the damn fine Cajun music. I don't run it as hard as I used to (noticeably less chicken chasing, child terrorizing, roof climbing and ditch in-jumping than in the days of my youth) but I still have a great time. If my liver holds up, I'll be back next year.

Mardi Gras break

We're off to run the Courir de Mardi Gras de Eunice. I'll be back later in the week with stories, pics and gastritis.