When reading about Iraq, it was easy to parallel the country to the U.S.S.R. when Stalin ruled. There was so much propaganda as well as censorship. Iraq reminded me a lot of a communist country. Saddam’s pictures were everywhere similar to Stalin, but what struck me more was that although the countries are so similar in many aspects, they have one major difference. In Russia, Stalin’s pictures were everywhere because although they had no religion anymore, the communist leaders understood the people needed something to look up to. Also, Stalin had a huge ego. Similarly, Saddam’s picture is everywhere. Tony Horwitz commented on how Saddam was trying to act like God yet Iraq is an extremely religious country. How is it that Saddam can balance a worship of him and keep up Islam? The answer is because Iraq is so isolated from everything else. They know nothing of what is going on outside, and they fear too much to even question Saddam at all.MW