Because the mainstream media has done its best to hypnotize the public into believing the “failure” of the American democracy project in Iraq, it is worth comparing some dates:

Operation Iraqi Freedom – began March 19, 2003
Election to ratify constitution for a democratic Iraq – October 14, 2005

That’s two years and seven months.

US Declaration of Independence – July 4, 1776
Completion of US Constitution – September 17, 1787 (took effect 1789)

That’s eleven years and two months. (I could have begun with the Boston Tea Party which would have added another three years.)

Anybody want to take a bet about how history will regard Operation Iraqi Freedom? No wonder the New York Times ^[1] is singing a
(relatively) different tune this morning.

UPDATE: The NYT is already backtracking ^[2] (the Zabar’s zeitgeist rules!), but other interested parties are more concerned that democracy is ^[3] actually coming to Iraq.

MORE: A good tour d’horizon of press reactions from Austin of Austin. ^[4]

AND: Don’t miss Omar’s first foray into video ^[5]. Amazing.