" now feels that his vote can make a difference."

That's how Iraq the Model describes one of his friends who used to think the whole democracy thing was a sham to cover for an American puppet government.

That's real progress. I wish more Americans believed that about their own votes.

The fundamental thing that makes democracy possible is a willingness to abide by the majority vote and to conduct one's efforts for change in a peaceful manner. Those are big steps for societies used to rule by warlords. We'll see if the Sunnis are ready for democracy after this election is over.

Imagine what a treasure we'd consider a blog written during our own revolutionary period and the Constitutional convention. The Iraqis have many of them.