Yesterday I recieved an e-mail. Well actually it was a comment on this blog that was then forwarded to my email address, anyway I though I would like to share it with you.

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hey, nice guy stay the nice guy and don't put yourself in this. listen to me , you can say your opinion about war or that stuff but to decided who should win or try to promote a list that is exactly what you shouldn't do. I live in Iraq and I know about who you are talking. each Iraqi has his own view and his own background. you don't take your friends words on who is best for Iraq. this elections still premature and even when we go and vote we vote to choose democracy . you have a loving and honest heart don't spoil it with politics lies. stay away and clean.
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There are a few things that really effected me in this comment.....

Firstly being the "nice guy" is something I just do, it's one way of helping people that never fails.... But when it comes to the physical politics of life and governments, unfortunately there are no nice-guys.

And the nice guys there are all seem to be silenced or killed before they can really make a difference.

I am sorry if I or my views on the coming Iraqi election offend anyone, and I am sorry to myself if they taint my personality now or in the future, but unfortunately there is a choice to face- and I want to help people to NOT MAKE the wrong decision.

I do not in anyway endorse Allawi or his chronies, much the same way as I do not endorse the Labor party here in Australia, since to me they are just another Liberal party in disguise, much like Allawi is another oppressive Tyrant acting good-guy.

I never support these people, and even if I were to vote for them, I would resist their stupidity and policies after they were elected.

Voting is not a "who is most like what you want" choice, and not a choice anyone should make going on "what a friend says". On the same note a person should never endorse or promote a particular list unless they know what they are in for.

Unfortunatly, whatever I say here will impact on some of my Iraqi friends, and may conflict with some of their views.

I had a choice in 2004 to vote for what is effectively two groups, the Labor or the Liberals. Now the Labor party supported the invasion of Iraq. They also supported the new Terror laws in Australia, federally they also somewhat support the establishment of Australian dominance in South East Asia and also they support our alliance(reliance?) with the USA.

This goes against every moral fibre of my body to support them, yet I have a choice to make.

It is either them, or the Liberal party who support staying in Iraq permanently, who believe australia already IS dominant in South-East Asia, who DO NOT SUPPORT West Australian plans for independance, who cherish the alliance with the USA and are highly critical of China.

They are also supportive of new Industrial Relations laws which will see people like me have no official place to turn if my boss wanted to force me to work at a lower rate.

Also they support the idea of "Sedition Laws". This means that my blog can have me held on accusations of promoting terrorism against Australian troops overseas (because I OPENLY SUPPORT AN OCCUPIED NATIONS RIGHT TO RESISTANCE).

I put my own freedom and safety on the line everytime I write the above quote, because my government would have me arrested were it in their resources to do so.

So when I walked into that booth to vote one way or the other, I was shuddering. I was feeling angry that I must choose a group who does not in the slightest represent my views on the world.

But it was either them or the big man in grey, Mr Howard the evil doer.

The War mongerer, george bush's "man of steel" (by the way, STALIN means MAN OF STEEL, coincidence???).

So I voted for the Labor party.
Much as many Iraqi's will choose to vote for Allawi's group against their own morals.

I am sorry to my Iraqi friends who believe I am mistaken in saying Allawi may be their best hope for the future, but that is what I believe. It is not what my Iraqi friends tell me, it is what I have decided after developing and studying the equation of Iraqi politics for several years.

I know alot about Allawi's past tooo, but I also know all about SCIRI/Badr/Daawa and Al-Sadr.

Were there not a group with the strength of the United Iraqi Allaince, then I would not support Allawi. But Allawi seems to be the only one the Kurds will consider as their allie other than the UIA (who in all reality are the Kurdish Alliances worst fear).

I do not wish to see my friend Sunshine forced into living under a Shiite' belief system, or to have her home town turned into a Kurdish province.

Ninevah is Ninevah, Mosul is for Moslawi's.

I do not believe that the Kurdish and the UIA combined would know how to keep Iraq unified without mass-suppression of beliefs amongst those who are neither Kurd nor a UIA supporter.

could the UIA even survive 6months as a government? Would Al-Sadr break away?

So I am sorry,

BUT I HOPE ALLAWI WINS THE ALLAINCE WITH THE KURDS, AND THIS ALLIANCE BECOMES THE NEXT IRAQI GOVERNMENT.

while the US are still there, the UIA are definately not the right choice.

p.s. I will always be the nice guy you believe in, whether I choose this person or that. If you needed my help and were a member of SCIRI, you would still get it. Even if you were a US soldier, I would still be there for you.