Cost of "Democracy": I was reading in the WSJ an (very very general and undetailed) itemization of the US "reconstruction" budget for Iraq. And I read that some $ 576 million were spent on "democracy." What on earth is that? How were those millions spent on "democracy"? How do you spend money on democracy? And how much does "democracy" cost? And why is "democracy" in Iraq less costly than expenditure on prisons in Iraq (as you know Saddam's prisons are not sufficient to hold the prisoners of US-"liberated" Iraq--does this not say it all?) And does the money that was spent on boosting the sagging fortunes of Iyad `Allawi (former puppet prime minister/Saddam's henchman/embezzler-in-Yemen/car bomber) also count as money spent on "democracy"? And have you noticed that when `Allawi so eagerly try to get into the news, he comes with a tale of yet another assassination attempt on his life that nobody knows about it except himself? He just concocted a tale about an assassination attempt on his life in Basrah that nobody seems to be able to confirm. I am sure that he will be getting some of the US democracy money in the next "elections".