New blackouts add to Iraq’s woes (Washington Post): “The persistent blackouts — U.S. and Iraqi specialists blame sabotage, looting, war damage and the failure of antiquated equipment — have transformed a city that once was regarded as the most advanced in the Arab world to a place of pre-industrial privation where shopkeepers hawk their wares on the sidewalk, housewives store food in iceboxes and families sleep outdoors. The lack of steady electricity is regarded by several U.S. and Iraqi officials as the most significant obstacle in the reconstruction of this city and country.... On Baghdad’s streets, the blackouts are fueling a growing nostalgia for former president Saddam Hussein among people who only weeks ago cheered the fall of his government and welcomed the arrival of U.S. troops.”
The Very Meaning of Failure
