Iraq's Perpetual Presidential 'Struggle': A Feature, Not a Bug, of the Neocolonial State
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera reports the ongoing delay in Iraq's presidential vote, attributing it to the inability of Kurdish political blocs to agree on a candidate, highlighting the parliamentary hurdles that follow in securing approval from other factions. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This 'struggle' is a direct result of the sectarian power-sharing system ('muhasasa')
imposed after the 2003 US invasion. The US-designed constitution, crafted under occupation, codified ethnic and sectarian divisions (Shia PM, Sunni Speaker, Kurdish President), ensuring perpetual gridlock and preventing a strong, unified Iraqi state. General Tommy Franks famously declared in 2003, 'We don't do nation-building,' yet the US actively dismantled existing structures and imposed this
divisive framework, laying the groundwork for endless political paralysis. Double Standard: Western media often frames such persistent political instability in Iraq as an inherent 'Iraqi problem' or 'Kurdish problem,' implying a cultural incapacity for governance. Yet, when similar political deadlock occurs in Western nations, it's attributed to 'healthy democratic debate' or 'coalition building.'
Furthermore, the role of US and regional interference, often leveraging internal divisions, is consistently downplayed in Iraq, while any outside influence in nations disfavored by the West (e.g., Russian influence in US elections) is amplified to crisis levels. The real 'struggle' is often between proxies. Follow the Money: The fragmentation benefits those who profit from a weak, dependent Iraq.