Perspective on US History and Iraq

From yesterday's Rocky Mountain News: Opinion: "Saturday, for those looking for a cause to celebrate, is the 190th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. As the Associated Press reminds us, that battle was, until it was subsumed by the Civil War, a national holiday complete with the usual parades and ceremonies. It marked the improbable defeat of crack British regulars by an outnumbered band of U.S. troops, local militias, frontiersmen, freed slaves and free blacks and even pirates. Unbeknownst to the combatants, the treaty ending the War of 1812 had already been signed, but the victory gave a profound boost to the psyche of a shaky new country that had seen its capital burned less than five months earlier. The victory also propelled the U.S. commander, Andrew Jackson, into politics and ultimately the presidency." Useful to think about given the history of the US, even prior to the Civil War and I think important context for the upcoming Iraqi elections and the current world tumult. Iraq is experiencing upheaval that is not dissimilar to our own past and with our help may become another success story of democracy.