The Carnegie Endowment has had an ongoing discussion concerning the success of democratization in the Middle east and how fast it should be implemented. The discussants have dealt with questions concerning the pace of democratization, how it could serve long-term US security interests, and the success of such efforts. The linked articled discussed the question of gradualism. This is an insightful article: it points out that democracy often had not been achieved if it has been approached in a gradual manner. One of the successes that is mentioned, Taiwan, was effectively a constutional republic under a state of military dictatorship (thanks to Chiang Kai Shek)--it was because the Republic of China has been at war, technically, with the People's Republic of China since 1949. Only in the last few decades has democracy been more openly practiced, and it is only at this time that there had been an emergence of the concept of an independent Taiwan within the republic's ideology.

What I would add to this discussion is that the plan for Iraqi reconstruction should differentiate between autonomy and self-government. Much of the arguments about how much power to give the current governing council have been based on the former--and it ultimately appears that the Iraqis cannot govern themselves at this time and that the US would not allow it. However, Iraq can practice self-government and still exist in a state of US military dependency/protectorship. Areas of public and social services should be turned over to the governing council at once. The US should only worry about security and foreign affairs, but the military government should aid in organizing and structuring the governmental services. Areas like waste disposal, highways, communications, etc., may not sound glamorous (army and diplomacy are much more fun) but they are politically contentious. These areas could serve as arenas for Iraqi's to develop their democratic sensibilities and might help in the emergence of a real public sphere. The point is to put as much decision making in the hands of Iraqis, even if they will still call on the US for support.