PROGRESS IN IRAQ == BIG GOVERNMENT

The wingnuts have been trying to gloat about the progress in Iraq and conveniently forget the millions of displaced persons, the 12-foot barriers seperating neighborhoods in Baghdad and the poor condition of the health care system. The Free Market Fairy hasn't arrived yet, so the Iraqi government has been taking up the slack (h/t Atrios):

Iraq Private Sector Falters; Rolls of Government Soar
By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON
Published: August 10, 2008
NY Times

BAGHDAD — Hampered by years of violence, a decimated infrastructure, a lack of foreign investors and a flood of imports that undercut local businesses, Iraq’s private sector, particularly its small non-oil economy, has so far failed to flourish as its American patrons had hoped.

In its absence, the Iraqi government has been sustaining the economy the way it always has: by putting citizens on its payroll. Since 2005, according to federal budgets, the number of government employees has nearly doubled, to 2.3 million from 1.2 million.