Votes, Where They Count

The historic election in Saudi Arabia this week is a great step towards a government run by the people rather than oppressive dictatorships that are common in the middle east. This was a limited election with woman not being able to vote and the elected officials having limited power. This is certainly a positive first step.

Stan, What America should take notice of is the voter turn out. In some areas 92% of the men turned out to vote. it's great is see elections in a parts of the world where there hasn't been but there is continuation of the societal culture of oppressing women. until that changes there isn't freedom in saudi arabia. I agree with you. I'd like to see woman having the right to vote and to be equal to men, as they are here. woman aren't treated equal to men! look at wage statistics, men constantly get paid more then woman. men get promoted quicker than woman. to say that woman and treated as equals is naive. Let's save this discussion for another time, woman are treat unequal to men but often to their advantage. advantage? what crack-pot magazine of you been taking into the can.

Back to the voting in Saudi Arabia, there were more than 1800 candidates. This is a society that is starving for democracy and freedom. We see the same thing in Iraq. People are dodge bombs and risking their life to vote. People were threatened with death if they voted and they did anyways. here we go again, george bush saved the world. someone keep him a cookie. yeah, people voted but it was for show more than any thing substantial. You just said that it's great that a first vote took place in Saudi Arabia why isn't this a great first step. because george bush push through this election to up his approval ratings. the interim government of iraq just 6 weeks before the election was saying it shouldn't happen. ask the people who were killed on election day and the days afterwards how they feel about the election.

I wish no one would have been killed but you can't cancel and election out of fear. The people doing the horrible acts are terrorists, fear is their only weapon. By continuing the elections in spike of their treats is one way to disarm them. and get people killed. the country should have been safe BEFORE the election. there was polling places that didn't open because people weren't safe. The election in Iraq showed the world what can happen when people what to be free.

The elections in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Palestine should be a beacon of change for the rest of the world. If you want to be free, you can. It will take work and some sacrifices will undoubtedly happen but freedom is possible.