Progress is a hard thing to measure. Some people who would love to take the country back to the '60's deceptively call themselves "Progressives." Progress in Iraq is an even more bedevilling concept, given the political rancor than has predominated the discussion of that particular struggle. But now we have what is in my humble opinion a truly worthwhile metric. McClatchy Newspapers reports today that "alcohol is flowing again in Iraq." To take a twist on an old Benjamin Franklin quote: beer is proof that Allah loves us and wants us to be happy.
The article sites the example of Saif, a 19 year old Iraqi Christian who owns 4 liquor stores in Baghdad. Several times Saif's stores have been attacked and bombed. Each time he has repainted, rebuilt, and reopened. At the hardest times his businesses were shut down for weeks or more at a time, and only open for a few hours on the good days. Now, he maintains hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Business is booming.
Then there is the story of Abo Do'aa:
Abo Do'aa is a Muslim Iraqi in his 40s who travels more than 50 miles from Balad, in Salahuddin province north of Baghdad , to Sadoon Street in downtown Baghdad to buy liquor. "It's very safe these days, and I can go back to my town even at 2 a.m." , he said. "I came to buy liquor for me and my friends. It's expensive, but we can afford it. We used to drink for a long time just to enjoy ourselves."
If that doesn't bring a tear to every red blooded American's heart, I don't know what would. I say the country that imbibes together, thrives together. Whatever other yard stick used to measure progress in Iraq, I think it behooves us to remember Abo and his friends. Here's to Abo and Saif: Bsithak! (cheers)
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