Some people criticize us and other bloggers and journalists who adopt optimistic perspectives similar to ours.
They seem to think that we’re ignoring the bad things that are happening in Iraq and focusing only on the good side just to serve the agenda of the American administration or the so called “neo conservatives”.
This is not true, as we have never said that Iraqi is a perfect place and that progress is being made in lighting speed. We acknowledge the difficulties and the terrible losses and each loss, whether among Iraqis or coalition forces makes us really sad and discourages us for a while.
The difference is that we can also see the good things that are being done; we want to encourage such progress and promote a better vision for Iraq’s future.
Most of the optimists and pessimists do have an agenda, but not all, as there are some pessimists as well as optimists who are honest in the way they deal with the Iraqi issue and we respect both but we ‘chose’ to be optimistic and not allow ourselves to be discouraged because Iraq, the region and the whole world needs such attitude. It is a commitment just as it is a personal perspective. On the other side; pessimism, although understandable but very dangerous in this particular struggle and it approaches the verge of defeatism, which while not that disastrous when dealing with new projects or adventures, is catastrophic in such a crucial conflict.
Chrenkoff sees this and recognized “two Iraqs” in a way that is very difficult to be seen by people other than Iraqis living inside Iraq. As he put it:
There are two Iraqs.
The one we more often get to see and read about is a dangerous place, full of exploding cars, kidnaped foreigners and deadly ambushes. The reconstruction is proceeding at a snail's pace, frustration boils over and tensions - political, ethnic, religious - crackle in the air like static electricity before a storm.
The other Iraq is a once prosperous and promising country of twenty-four million people, slowly recovering from physical and moral devastation of totalitarian rule. It's a country whose people are slowly beginning to stand on their own feet, grasp the opportunities undreamed of only two years ago, and dream of catching up on three decades of lost time.
Read the whole piece here.
(Aso available from the "Opinion Journal" and "Winds of Change").
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