It might be rather erroneous to invoke the American Revolution when speaking of modern-day Iraq, but just such a thought occured to me while reading the most recent issue of Time. In the cover story, “Life in Hell: A Baghdad Diary,” the author recalls a conversation he had with one of his friends about the odd incentives structure of the Iraqi government and the lack of leadership operating within it.

We agreed that there were no giants on the political landscape, and he shook his head dolefully. ‘Not only that,’ he said, sighing, ‘but the political system we have created makes it impossible for such a figure to emerge.’ Politicians, he said, have discovered that the easiest way to win votes is to appeal to sectarian chauvinism; they have little incentive to take the higher, more difficult road. …

[S]tatesmen can’t be wished into existence. In 3 1/2 years of covering Iraq, I have not come across a single leader who has seemed able to rise above petty political or sectarian interests.

Instantly, I thought of David McCullough’s characterization of George Washington in 1776. During a time when our nation’s government was weak and fractured and our army was little more than an amalgamation of various militias, it was Washington that was able to placate the fears of both sides and eventually win a war for independence.

Perhaps, then, the ‘environment’ so lamented by the Times author as being inconsistent with the development of a leader isn’t so bad. Perhaps, it’s not to the government that Iraqis should look for leadership, but to some individual that embodies the spirit of freedom like Washington was to the colonists in the 18th century?

As Washington showed through his actions during the Revolutionary War, a government formed without the consent of the people it is supposed to represent, has no legitimate claim to authority. Thus, regardless of what decisions were made by the nation’s representatives, the battles waged on.

In Iraq, the battles will go on, regardless of the decisions of the government. A voice apart from these secular happenings, a voice that challenges the mullahs, but is no different from them in tenor, will be the leadership needed (and sorely absent) in Iraq.