Democracy Achieved

Now it's time to get started

by Patrick J. Shanahan
02/16/05

The elections in Iraq proved to be one of the most monumentally embarrassing moments ever for the mainstream media. As far as I can tell, there was not one positive news story that presented an optimistic picture of the elections outcome. It was all negativity, all doom and gloom.

The amazing success of those elections has provided a stunning refutation of the once again highlighted one of the more interesting aspects of media bias at work. Most true "bias" in the mainstream media is not a matter of consciously slanted stories or made-up storylines. It is a matter of deciding what is important and what is to be reported on.

When the media take on a common view of "what matters" that is distinctly at odds with reality, a pattern emerges. As reality begins to intrude to deflate the story, the media seems to actively ignore that reality with greater fervor, and reporting intensity of the preferred focus actually increases. Until something happens that makes it absolutely, undeniably clear to all concerned that the preferred story is bunk. Then the media is brought up short like a dog on a leash, and immediately shifts gears, pretending that its original focus was never there.

For a year and a half, the mainstream media was absolutely relentless in its focus on the "mess" that Iraq had become. Isolated acts by a desperate fascist and terrorist remnant became the only focus of the news. Because there was no alternative presented (the lack of reporting on the good news in Iraq has been a major complaint by administration supporters) the violence and seeming chaos became the default view of life in Iraq.

But it was not so. Right up until the election we heard nothing but violence, explosions and casualty figures. A picture was painted by the media which made the entire country of Iraq seem out of control, chaotic, and deadly. I honestly believe that the media comes to belief its own rhetoric. They come to believe that what they are reporting is not only true (which it usually is, on its own narrow terms) but presents an accurate picture of the actual state of affairs. Thus they looked at impending elections as a disaster waiting to happen. If one started from the premise that the picture they painted is accurate, it would be foolish to think otherwise.

But then comes election day, and very little bad stuff happens. Some people are murdered by the fascist thugs, but millions more go and vote peacefully and with pride. The media's balloon is deflated. The election as it took place makes it clear that the picture as painted by the MSM cannot be true. No matter what the MSM report from here on out, the people know it is a misrepresentation.

Now we run the risk of reaction in the opposite direction. Because the election was so clearly a success on its own terms, it will be tempting to assume that our job in Iraq is done. Democracy has been achieved, now we can go home. You can already start to hear the drumbeat.

The reality is that the elections marked the end of the destruction phase of our efforts in Iraq. Now we can begin the construction - the building of freedom.

In any society, elections on their own terms are rather meaningless. Saddam had elections, after all. Truth be told, democracy is rather meaningless on its own terms. A democracy in which 51% of the electorate enslaves the other 49% is not a good thing. Elections in general and democracy in particular are useful only insofar as they help us to achieve liberty. Liberty is the end, democratic elections are one means to that end.

Other means to that end include the (elusive) rule of law, clear limits to government power, the willing participation by mediating social institutions, a justice system based on consistent rules, and fair treatment of minority rights. Creating a constitution is useful only insofar as it achieves these ends.

Our founders had a knack for words, and they could make it all sound so simple: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The reality is that finding and defending liberty is a messy and sometimes smelly stew. A lot has to go right, and constant work is required. I sometimes worry that we Americans have lost our taste for the worthy work of defending liberty.

Liberty in Iraq may well look an awful lot different than it does in Minnesota. But it is achievable. Iraqis aren't idiots. They will figure out most of what they need to do on their own. But we as a nation need to stand beside them, sort of like the Julia Child of liberty, offering helpful hints, moral support, and chasing away the mice. If we are willing to do this, to stay the course, then liberty will gain a foothold in Iraq. Then the elections would have been worth it. And then the mainstream media will pretend they were behind it all along.