"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth."
- George Washington (1732-1799), 1st U.S. President
War doesn't always keep people from doing the things they enjoy. Read this Washington Post article titled "Back in the Saddle in Iraq" which describes the resurgence of horse racing in Iraq:
"Thoroughbred racing, once a part of Iraq's proud desert heritage and more recently a victim of its self-indulgent dictatorship, has made a rapid comeback since Hussein's government was toppled in April...races started up again only 10 days after bombs stopped falling on Baghdad, and the sport has steadily gained popularity ever since."
Evidently, many Iraqis still have money, and they're willing to risk it on the horses and other games of chance in hopes of a big pay-off. The crowds are all male except for an occasional female journalist. When the ladies show up, they're normally with an armed guard because the men imbibe while they do their thing, and an unaccompanied woman might be in danger.
At the race covered in the Post story, the mood was "palpably relaxed and sporting in contrast to the tension of tightly scripted racing events described by Iraqis who frequented the track during Hussein's rule." Prior to the war, Saddam's son, Uday, ran the track, and if his horses didn't win, the jockey was punished. One was reportedly beaten to death in front of the crowd. I would imagine that jockeys ride much easier now that they aren't as worried about what happens if they lose.
The Olympic sports program is also being revitalized. Perhaps the reawakening of recreation in this country is a positive sign. Col. Vincent Foulk of the 308th Brigade thought so: "The payback is huge. It gets people back to work, and seeing sports is an indication of normality."
Play hard folks. You deserve it.
3 comments:
I love the photo gallery that goes with this story. The Iraqis look like people enjoying their freedoms. You can see much more expression of individuals than was evident during Saddam's rule. Thanks for the link to this story.
:)Cheese Louise
Hmmm, my first thought would be that the Iraqis need to get their priorities in order. I'd think that if they have enough money to squander betting the horses, perhaps they should put some forth and rebuild their country instead of the American taxpayers doing it for them.
Well, you have a point, but we don't know what they're doing with their time when they're not at the track. Perhaps they are productive citizens who are, in fact, helping to re-build their country. Since they have money, I would assume they are working, unless they've stumbled across some of Saddam's hidden stash.
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