Now there is mass disillusion. The kinetic approaches don’t necessarily solve problems in that part of the world you need solid ideas and intellectual dissemination.
The ordinary population (especially the 70% of youth) from 20011 onwards, know what Iraqi politics is about. It’s about politicians serving their own interests, because elections don’t decide political outcomes in Iraq.
You only have to look at the October 19th Tishreen Movements to know that the youth understand that the elections don’t change the outcomes in Iraq.
The elites come together. For example al-Abadi and Barzani were at war with each other and Baghdad was not releasing salaries. It was ordinary people who had to wait up to six months, and sometimes nine months, without being paid wages. And these two individuals, al-Abadi and Barzani, who created all of that, were then seen hugging and kissing each other in the next series of elections trying to form a political alliance. And so Iraqis, who are politically astute, see that and can interpret what it means. And these are the things that are contributing to declining voter turnout in Iraq.
While 70% of all Iraqis in Iraq are under the age of 35, only 43% (and thats an exaggerated number) came out to vote in the last election. That 43% alludes to almost 9 million people in numbers. The number of people on the public sector payroll is also 9 million. So it seems that those who did vote, did so for their livelihoods, for their pay check, and for their job security.
Some of my family in Iraq do vote – they vote for the parties they have to vote for – to protect their livelihoods.
But there is a 57% to 60% of Iraqis not voting. These people need a new leader, a new ideology, a new vision for Iraq. If there was an actual free market, then people would not vote because they have to – but would vote for political parties that actually serve their current interests depending on what demographic they are. If they are youth, then this might be youth prospects. If they are older, then retirement prospects.
Instead there are empty promises for more jobs, long delays for salary payments and generic statements to make “Iraq a better place”. And so there needs to be a new paradigm, a new grand vision for Iraq.
I have created a blueprint for a new intellectual paradigm for a new Iraq – which can be disseminated through the celebrity, influencer and private market channels to engage the youth. There can be a way to achieve a consensus – for example in England there might be a lot of different identities, but people can still feel and be British and vote on a political party that represents your values rather than identity. Based on the fact Iraq has 70% youth, there is a huge opportunity to engage and unify with a big idea and ideology to transform the political landscape.