The true beauty of being a wingnut is that, no matter what happens, it’s progress! If only I could be that drunk when I work.

I tuned out at the point where Herr B00t stated that the Iraqi Parliament going on vaction certainly was a bad idea but for “symbolic reasons,” and then proceeded to “argue” the exact opposite premise by praising the backroom deals that inform the law-making process. There are two obvious problems with this bone head’s position:

First, no shit, professor – the Parliament going on vacation “symbolizes” the fact that it is a largely feckless body that does not WANT to assume any responisiblity toward legislating, you know, one of them little thingies necessary in a thriving democracy.

Second, in the U.S., we don’t legislate via backroom deals, or at least that’s not what we are supposed to do. We legislate through open and public debate, transparency and accountability – unless you count the Bush adminstration and the GOP Congress that acted as its lap-dogs. Further, when the Iraqis negotiate in smoke-filled back rooms, they aren’t working out thorny issues; in fact, they aren’t working out ANY issues. They don’t have to. The Shi’ia have all the power and have no incentive to work out anything with the Sunni, which is like, you know, the whole point here, ’cause we’re all tryin’ to stop the sectarian violence n’ shit – the clear point you are too obtuse to recognize.

Max Boot: In Iraq, as in the United States, the serious work of legislating does not take place on the floor of Parliament or in committee meetings. It takes place behind the scenes. In the case of Iraq, it’s often late at night, over numerous cups of chai, that deals are hatched and bargains concluded.

In the case of the United States, deals are hatched on taxpayer-paid golf junkets to Scotland, or while sipping Jack-‘n-Coke while getting a rub-‘n-tug at Madame Woo’s. My gawd, who’d a thunk democracy was such a casual affair! We could sell the Capitol building to Starbucks or Disney and dipsense with such a grandiose illusion of governance once and for all.

And to think The New York Times gives valuable op-ed space to morons like Max Boot. Wow. It’s almost insulting to real writers and thinkers that puerile loons like Boot and Jonah Golberg and the rest of Winguttia, Inc. are given such treasured forums to promote their sophistic piffle.

And to think The New York Times gives valuable op-ed space to morons like Max Boot. Wow. It’s almost insulting to real writers and thinkers that puerile loons like Boot and Jonah Golberg and the rest of Winguttia, Inc. are given such treasured forums to promote their sophistic piffle.

And they’ve worked very hard to get where they are (well, not Jonah, but the rest of them). Getting formerly respectable publications to print such nonsense is the Ultimate Goal of the Wingnut Welfare programme.

Further, when the Iraqis negotiate in smoke-filled back rooms, they aren’t working out thorny issues; in fact, they aren’t working out ANY issues. They don’t have to. The Shi’ia have all the power and have no incentive to work out anything with the Sunni, which is like, you know, the whole point here, ’cause we’re all tryin’ to stop the sectarian violence n’ shit – the clear point you are too obtuse to recognize.

Not so fast, Legalize. There are a variety of groups in Iraq, and the Shi’ia aren’t one single monolithic group. Ditto the Sunnis. Ditto, even, the government. I recommend the linked article for some interesting reading.

Disclosure: I’m not pimping the man just because I have him for a weekly interview on our local community radio station, honestly. It’s just that I can’t resist a smart man, I really can’t…

“Not so fast, Legalize. There are a variety of groups in Iraq, and the Shi’ia aren’t one single monolithic group. Ditto the Sunnis. Ditto, even, the government. I recommend the linked article for some interesting reading.”

I was referring to the sectarian groups relative to their generic Parliamentary and political positions, rather than in regard to their “man-on-the-street” positions. But your article is interesting, and your point, indeed, well-taken.

Stop reading the Times, guys. It just makes you crazeeeee.

This guy looks exactly like the child-raping dad in Happiness.

When I saw the title, I was sure this was gonna be about Jonah Goldberg.

I mean Max Boot? I’m pretty sure he’s an idiot but his mastery of English is so imperfect, I’m not always sure what he’s saying.

At least Jonah puts the words in the right order.

He’s got a point. Back-room deals combined with absurdly long vacations is exactly how the American pseudo-democracy works. Both American and Iraqi systems are just as successful at dealing with major problems: that is to say, incapable of dealing with major problems. The only difference is that Iraq’s problem–civil war–is rather more kinetic and visible than the American problems of political, social and economic decay.