Wednesday, July 9, 2008

1957

Baghdad, 1957:
one year before the July 14 Revolution that ultimately changed the fate of the Iraqi nation-state.

A Google search offers little more than Frank Lloyd Wright's queer orientalist vision of Baghdad:

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/1469/flw_iraq.html

Here we have the very pristine perception and plans of a legendary American visionary for the future of Iraq's capital city at this pivotal moment. Disappointingly, Iraqis' own perceptions and plans for Iraq in this moment are not widely published on the web (in English).

Offer your insights: Wh
at was Baghdad like in 1957?

7 comments:

Bruno said...

Interesting blog. I like your posts so far, and look forward to reading more of your insights on Iraq. Having Iraqis comment here is great.

Bruno said...

BTW, I'm a bit of a news-hound on Iraq. There are a bunch of relevant links posted on Iraq in the comments section of this blog daily, as well as some discussion:

http://www.healingiraq.blogspot.com

mona said...

thanks for your comments bruno!

A. Damluji said...

Hello Bruno: believe it or not, i know i still owe you about a dozen dvds! my apologies.

--


Baghdad ca.1957:
havent been there myself :P but from what i hear, it was a quiet, sunny place. problem is i dont believe what i hear as a general rule.

were we better off then? maybe, if iraq had been given a chance.

(3 wars, how many years of sanctions? 12? they served only to starve the people while Saddam's lot were carousing without a worry)

really i dont know what else to say.

cile said...

hello mona, bruno, A13,

Saad doesn't have a blog himself (!) although he does comment regularly on Iraqi blogs, and he's Iraqi too.

He sent me a mail with the following txt and asked me to publish it as a comment on this post (i'm just playing the hub):
-c-

Saad's comment:
>
>
> Yeah great fun you would say. One architectural sketch of some construction is not enough to show how the country looked like at that time.

Well there were no industries whatsoever, oil & its licenses were in the hands of foreigners, all trade & economic activities in the country were in the hands of either foreigners or the friends of the British & their local cronies. So any progress in the country was nil.
Moreover, GB had two airbases with which it controlled the country & insured that its political friends were always safe, half the Iraqis were living in tin houses with no electricity nor running water. All elections during that time were falsified (average 'life' of any Cabinet was no more than three months & Parliament more or less the same). No general liberties were tolerated.
If you only comment on this situation in the street, hop! the next minute you are arrested & thrown in jail!!!
>
> Anything else you people would like to dream about ?
> ---
> Saad
>

Bruno said...

LOL, A13, don't worry about the DVD's . Its not really that important. Rather concentrate on doing well for yourself in life; we need more people like you around.

Saad, its good to see you around, too. I like your comments.

Mona, how about another post? :)

A. Damluji said...

Bruno: still, they are on my to-do list :)


Cile: actually to Sa'ad:

2 things:

"You People", err, wha? which people? and dream about what exactly? nobody even mentioned the word dream in this post.

and basically you just described iraq from its conception to this very moment.

so please, if you want to rant at your current situation, feel free, but dont take it out on others.

"من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليقل خيرا أو ليصمت"

don't troll.