Progress in Baghdad

Fewer attacks and fewer deaths is a trend we've all heard about in Iraq, it was just the political process that needed to trend in a better direction. Well, and in all seriousness, I think this is merely Iraq showing the signs of growing pains:

Corruption and theft are not new to Iraq, and government officials have promised to address the problem. But as Iraqis and American officials assess the effects of this year’s American troop increase, there is a growing sense that, even as security has improved, Iraq has slipped to new depths of lawlessness.

One recent independent analysis ranked Iraq the third most corrupt country in the world. Of 180 countries surveyed, only Somalia and Myanmar were worse, according to Transparency International, a Berlin-based group that publishes the index annually.

I mean, it's not like New Orleans is much better, and what did we expect from a newborn, war-torn country with sectarian pressures? This New York Times article shows corruption on a large scale with obvious warnings of how it's bad for democracy. That's fine, but I think it's a tad disingenuous.

I'm not defending corruption, and I do realize it is bad for democracy on many levels. The silver lining is that Iraq is still a democracy, and any politician with a brain could take advantage of this crisis by campaigning against it. Success will be rewarded with re-election, and watch as other politicians do likewise. It will take time, and it could go wrong, but democracy isn't the fragile utopian balancing act they'd have us believe. It is a powerful force that over time, reflects the will of the people. I'm optimistic.