Web Letters: Iraq's Resurgent Nationalism

Robert Dreyfuss sure knows his Iraq. I put this latest article up there with his piece in March of last year about the victory of the Mahadi Army over Maliki in Basra. I guess it is only in the real world that you have to be right once in awhile. When I get back from Baghdad, Bob, let's get together and you can fill me in on what is not going on over here.

Lawrence Blume

San Antonio, TX

Having served two years in Iraq, I am amazed and happy to see a nationalist trend emerging. When I left the last time the militias were terrorizing Baghdad and the Awakening was just beginning, with no real indication it would spread as it did. I never imagined that a semblance of stability would emerge. Hopefully it can endure; as the article states, Iran remains an external threat. I would not count out Sadr, and I have seen from a fairly close perspective just how savvy Maliki can be in advancing his goals. I hope that ultimately the people will wind up with a fair government.

I am interested in the comment on free trade and globalization below. I don’t think that an oil state can insulate itself from the world economy, even if it rejects the economic rules of integration. Maybe someone with more knowledge of economics can chime in. I think that it would benefit from periods of global economic growth as increased demand raises profits and that it would suffer from global recessions as decreased demand depletes them.

Neil Everingham

Leavenworth, KS

As a nation-state, Iraq was fiction to begin with, as is the case of Israel, Jordan, etc. Partitioning it today may or may not be the solution. The problematic here is that if violence subsides and the next elections are even more successful, the neocons and Bush II apologists will claim credit.

John Molina

Chula Vista, CA

Biden may be a nice guy, but he does not know anything about foreign policy. I never liked the idea of splitting up Iraq, and hopefully it will never happen. It is my hope that a strong, independent Iraq emerges from this mess, and that Iraqis will control its government along with its economy. The Iraqis need to keep those "free trade" economic imperialists, from the East or West, out of their country. The Iraqi stock market was the only one that had no problems because it has not been globalized. Self-determination is the road to success.

Pervis James Casey

Riverside, CA