Astute observations from Iraq

Today produced some interesting posts from Iraqi bloggers. Hammorabi announced the new Iraqi prime minister and threw in, almost casually, this amazing observation.

This is the first time in the history of the Arab region that civilized way of government change happened.

We in America take this for granted. Every two years we elect new representatives and every four or eight years we elect a new President. It's been going on, without great turmoil, for so long that we've forgotten what an amazing thing it is to change governments peacefully.

Omar, at Iraq the Model ponders why Egyptians don't change their tyranny while Iraqis were only too happy to change theirs. The answer? Egyptians are allowed just enough rope to keep them from rebelling, whereas Iraqis had only two choices; silence or death. The former was intolerable, the latter almost inevitable.

Omar doesn't leave it at that, however. He offers hope.

I say, take a look at my country and learn from my people and have faith in yourselves because if you keep thinking with such negativity you will never get the change you want. If the people really want something they can achieve it and they will find many hands reaching out for them with support and advice.
We in Iraq weren't fully prepared for the change here as well but we took advantage of the moment and we believed that this is what we want. Many spectators were expecting a civil war in Iraq and it didn't happen and won't happen and many are still warning of a possible theocracy in Iraq and I believe that this is impossible too.

Bottom line is: the world has changed, we're not living in the fifties anymore and when a tyrant is kicked out, no other tyrant can claim his place. Why? Because nothing can be done behind closed doors anymore, the whole world can watch and have a say in almost everything everywhere and the era when thugs could reach power against a nation's choice is over. The world has simply changed and the change cannot be reversed.

Blogs play no small part in this new era, and bloggers like Omar are at the center of that vortex.

Words have power — spoken by someone who has displayed the kind of courage Omar has, they can change the world.