Election Day
We anti-interventionists are fond of quoting “the friends of liberty everywhere, but the guardians only of our own.” I remain convinced, moreso than ever, that this is the only principle on which a wise and just foreign policy can be based. But as “friends of liberty everywhere,” we can only be pleased that today’s Iraqi elections have gone relatively smoothly, and only admire the determination and enthusiasm Iraq’s voters brought to their task and privilege. We cannot yet know if the results will be honestly tabulated or lead to effective, just and liberal governance; voting is only the first step in building a free society. But we can know that the act was nothing less than a joy for many of Iraq’s citizens, and that the first step in any process is nevertheless essential to all those that follow.
