Democracy, liberation and freedom are just myths

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If you were curious about what kind of thoughts run through the mind of an Iraqi living in Baghdad, read this:

When will I die? That’s the question circling in my head when I awake on Wednesday. I’m sweating, as usual. My muscles ache from another long night of no electricity in weather only slightly cooler than hell. As I dress for work, other questions assail me: How will I die? Will it be a shot in the head? Will I be blown to pieces? Or be seized at a police checkpoint because of my sect, then tortured and killed and thrown out on the sidewalk?

That’s the opening paragraph of a piece posted by “Dr. Mohammed” in last Sunday’s WaPo. Dr. Mohammed, who runs the Last of Iraqis blog, goes on to write:

In the end, we all agree: The only losers are honest, patriotic Iraqi people. For them, democracy, liberation and freedom are just myths. All we want is to live a normal life.

Of course, these words do not represent the views of all Iraqis, and Dr. Mohammed hints in his writings that he is wealthier than most other Iraqis. Still, the piece provides an interesting look into a week in Iraq from an often-ignored perspective.