BuzzMachine... by Jeff Jarvis

January 29, 2005

On MSNBC

: For the sleepless, a reminder that I'll be blogboy on MSNBC Sunday from 6a to noon and again in the Ron and Monica show between 5 and 6p covering the blog view of Iraqi elections (see the posts below). I'm preceded by Will Femia (who better leave good stuff for me) and followed by Joe Trippi.

In a half-dozen segments, I plan on covering (and this can change in a second) some of the emotional reaction to the election quoted below; coverage of citizen journalists in Iraq via blogs and Friends of Democracy (links below); video and photo from citizen journalists in Iraq; blogs by young Iraqis; possibly military bloggers' reports; possibly American blog reaction; and, of course, news as it breaks and blogs.

If you find good links, please do email me or leave comments here. I appreciate the help.

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Military blogging the election?

: If you see any military bloggers in Iraq writing about the election -- especially with accounts from the polls -- please leave links in the comments.

: Also, if you see particularly good American or non-Iraqi blog comment -- from both sides -- please also leave links in the comments.

Thanks.

: Here's one: RedSix, recently awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in battle, blogs this:

This is the first time I have seen the internet in days. This past week, the line platoons only have time to wake-up, be on mission all day without coming back to the FOB, and getting in near midnite to get some sleep.

The soldiers of 2-63 AR BN are out there hardening the election sites and working around the clock to provide security for the Iraqis. I'm pretty excited about being out there for something historical. Not all my soldiers can be out there but I have guys begging to be taken out in sector. Seeing how bad these locals want the elections to happen has been pretty inspiring for us. I will be posting photos of the guys laying wire and dropping barriers when I have more time, probably after elections are over.

: Another from Strawberry Fields:

I have some positive news to report for once. For the last few days, I’ve been feeling increasingly depressed over Iraq’s prospects. It doesn’t help that lately, part of my job has been to keep track of all the election-related violence happening in Iraq. So it’s been about polling stations being hit by grenades or mortars, elections workers quitting en masse because of threats and dozens of Iraqis killed in the last few days.

So after another 12-hour day at work, I was heading home for some much needed sleep when we drove out to the main road and saw a commotion of a traffic jam and car horns honking. Hanging out windows and on the back of pickup trucks were ordinary people and political activists carrying banners for various political groups. There were also people standing along the streets, cheering everyone on. It was the last day for campaigning but it looked like a big block party, and the celebration lasted past midnight.

As I observed the scene, a few tears dropped from my eyes. I was just so happy to finally see a positive result from this so-called democracy we have brought to Iraqis. Of course, I was brought back to reality today as I heard of a car bomb killing four Iraqis in Baghdad. And who knows what the day after the elections will bring. But for that one moment, I felt a measure of hope.

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Anticipation

: Here are some quotes from Iraqi bloggers as they anticipate the vote. They all should be an inspiration -- and perhaps a shame -- to those of us who have become blase about democracy and freedom, who growl over our choices and don't even bother showing up at the polls. Democracy is fragile and precious; we forget that. These people don't:

: Ali of of Free Iraq (formerly of IraqTheModel) talks about his cynicism about politics and parties and his nation. But then he says:

Still and with all this skepticism, I'm going to vote and I don't care if it means risking my life and I don't even care that much how the end results are going to be, not now! ...

Now, and thanks to other humans, not from my area, religion and who don't even speak my language, I and all Iraqis have the real chance to make the change. Now I OWN my home and I can decide who's going to run things in it and how and I won't waste that chance. Tomorrow as I cast my vote, I'll regain my home. I'll regain my humanity and my dignity, as I stand and fulfill part of my responsibilities to this part of the large brotherhood of humanity. Tomorrow I'll say I'M IRAQI AND I'M PROUD, as being Iraqi this time bears a different meaning in my mind. It's being an active and good part of humanity. Tomorrow I and the Iraqis that are going to vote will rule, not the politicians we're going to vote for, as it's our decision and they'll work for us this time and if we don't like them we'll kick them out! Tomorrow my heart will race my hand to the box. Tomorrow I'll race even the sun to the voting centre, my Ka'aba and my Mecca. I'm so excited and so happy that I can't even feel the fear I though I would have at this time. I can't wait until tomorrow.

: Ali's brother, Mohammed, writes at Iraq The Model:

It's a moment of pure freedom but still surrounded by lots of dangers just like any beautiful rose surrounded by spikes.
There is fear from the enemies of freedom who have their weapons already prepared to intimidate us and stop us from choosing our future....
We're standing before a historic moment and I won't be exaggerating if I said that it's an important moment for the whole world; we're standing before a crossroads and everyone should watch and learn from the rebirth of Iraq.
Regardless of the winners in the se elections, those who opposed the elections and resisted the change will have to deal with the new reality.
In 48 hours from now, the dying dictatorships and their filthy tools, the terrorists, will find themselves facing an elected legitimate government in Iraq.

The neurotic Iraqi wife gives us a picture of the blue ink they put on voters' fingers at polling places and calls it the mark of my freedom.

And then she paints this great scene from the city where she voted (not sure where that is):

Crowds and crowds of people started walking in at 730am on a Friday morning. It was simply beautiful. Families singing and clapping as they made their way through. I cant describe the feelings of jubilation. There were chocolates and sweets being distributed and one family brought in huge pots of rice and mutton and gave it to everyone in the center. Umm, No Thank You...

: Fayrouz, an Iraqi expat in Dallas, watches her countrymen in Australia as they were the first to vote and she writes:

There are times when I don't know what to say. This moment is one of those times. Sorry, I'm so happy and don't want to ruin the moment by saying any silly words.

: Many, like Ahmed, are still deciding whether to vote:

Personally, I very much do want to vote, but up to this moment I have not decided whether I actually will. I think I’ll wait till the elections day, see how things will go and decide then. My family is afraid of voting and are asking me not to go fearing for my safety, but as I said, I have not decided yet.

: A Friends of Democracy correspondent in Mosul reports it is a "city in which the law of the jungle has prevailed for the past two months, the armed groups continue to threaten to target polling centers. The polling centers locations have not yet been announced."

: In Baghdad, more FoD bloggers report on the security going up around polling places:

Streets around voting centers being closed while families are leaving their homes....

Multinational forces’ patrols started to put up barbed wire in streets leading to polling centers in Baghdad, implementing a plan to have a security perimeter around voting centers to prevent attacks by terrorists in booby-trapped cars.

: Husayn at Democracy in Iraq says it's not just about Iraq:

It will also be a day that inspires our neighbors to develop their own democracies. I cannot wait, I have been busy the last few days with my own attempts to encourage voting in my neighborhood, I hope that these efforts were put to good use.

: London Kurd has wonderful photos of the packed polling place in England.

: Faiza says this is not the way to hold an election:

We need to know the names of candidates, hear their plans, see them on TV or newspapers, and understand every candidate clearly. We should watch public debates between different parties and candidates to understand what is really happening, we need to understand who are we voting for because these people will have a very important and dangerous responsibility in the next years, they should lead Iraq to a better future.

: Abu Khaleel is against the election now:

On the one hand, I am passionately for democracy in principle. It is the only hope for Iraq. On the other hand, I am passionately against these particular elections. They are only an ugly, distorted imitation of democracy. I am convinced that they will not lead to stability … or even democracy.

I agree with fellow Iraqis who want these elections postponed or even boycotted. We have already seen these elections boycotted by the vast majority of expatriate Iraqis.

But I cannot blame the people who want to take part in them! In fact, I have nothing but admiration for those people who are going to risk their lives to cast their vote tomorrow.

: Alaasmary says in anticipation:

Today I met my friends all of them want to vote and ready to challenge of the dangers and we will vote.
Yesterday explosion happened at the night near one of elections center in my city it was a rocket that means our elections center is a target to the terrorists, but we must sacrifice for Iraq and for our future and we will crush the terrorists.
The democracy will win.

: LATER... The Observer in London -- even the Observer -- gets the point of it all:

This is not a moment for missionary zeal or blind optimism. But it is a moment to find hope in small advances and to remember that, despite the violence, democracy is the aspiration of Iraqis. We are duty-bound to help bring that about.

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Wankers of the day

: I wouldn't use such an infantile headline except to demonstrate that what goes around comes around.

Atrios joins the Washington Post going after Dick Cheney for what he wore at Auschwitz. Hey, there's plenty of things to go after Dick Cheney for. But the man is a heart patient. What's so wrong with keeping warm? And are we on the left really reduced to the Mr. Blackwell party? I've got it: If we can't decide who should head the DNC, let's elect Joan Rivers.

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Iraqi election coverage

: Here's a roundup of blogs covering the Iraq election. I'll be using this list when I appear on MSNBC Sunday as blogboy from 6 a.m. (!) to noon and again in the 5 p.m. hour. If you have more blogs to recommend, please add them. Also, can someone give me a link to current U.S. military blogs?

IRAQI BLOGGERS

: Friends of Democracy has citizen correspondents in each province filing reports, mostly in Arabic, which are translated and posted here. Michael J. Totten is acting as anchor-blogger through the election. Note that they will have a webcast show about this starting at 2p ET Sunday and it will also be aired on C-SPAN.

: Friends of Democracy was founded by Omar and Mohammed of IraqTheModel. They will be covering the election. Their brother, Ali, is covering things from here.

: Hammorabi has been critical of security and the current government but is excited about election day (a great post).

: Democracy in Iraq is a new one to me by a 26-year-old whose European-educated father taught his children English.

: Kurdo is blogging the election from Kurdistan, complete with pictures and an endorsement for List 173.

: Here is a Kurdish group blog. Read this post by Sami: One citizen talking about his choice in the election.

: A Kurd in London covered absentee voting there, complete with pictures of electioneering by the poll.

: A Family in Baghdad is written (in Arabic and English) by the other of Raed (Salam Pax' pal) and his brothers. It is generally against the occupation and recent posts include letters from the mothers of American soldiers killed there.

: Riverbend's latest post is about getting water, not the election.

: Live from Baghad is by Ayad, who just returned to Iraq from Cleveland.

: The Neurotic Iraqi Wife thinks that registration is light.

: Rose, a mother in Baghad, isn't sure she'll be able to get online for the election. She writes about daily life in her city.

: Fayrouz covers the news via Dallas.

: In Sun of Iraq, Alaasmary writes: "There are four days and the democracy will win; it will be a real war against the terrorists."

: Iraqi Thoughts is covering the election from Canada and today writes about the numbers in expat voting.

: Life in Baghdad.

: Baghdad Dweller is covering the election.

: Citizen of Mosul is a doctor who writes about a typical day there.

: Iraqi Comments is from a 25-year-old in Belgium.

: I expect to see Alaa posting here.

: Zeyad is in Jordan until after the election.

: Iraq Election blog with links to the parties.

: Iraqi Letter to America.

: Iraqi Enterprise is a company offering news links.

: Iraq Blog Count.

IRAQI YOUTH

: Aunt Najma gives us the perspective from Mosul.

: Nabil, Zeyad's teen brother, talks about the election in his school.

: Baghdad Girl, a 13-year-old who writes about living in fear and puts up pictures of her cats, like any self-respecting blogger.

: HNK is eager for the Americans to leave Mosul.

: Khalid, Raed's brother, blogs here.

: Then Some is an Iraqi college student already cynical about elected politicians.

: Hardblogger's David Shuster is reporting from Baghdad.

: Dahr Jamail, an independent journalist, reports from Iraq. [via Lost Remote]

: The BBC's reporter blog and citizens' blog.

: Command Post, of course.

: Mark Cuban's HDnet (high-definition TV) will be covering the election full-time.

: Later... Here's the Iraq Election Newswire.

: Here are Friends of Democracy's original Arabic-language reports (using the world's first Arabic-language blogging tool!).