While Tarbush was focused upon how and why the military came to play such a leading role in 1930s-40s Iraq, his book can be used to look at current Iraqi politics as well. Today’s Iraqi government is again dominated by individuals such as Moqtada al-Sadr, Ammar Hakim, Haid al-Amiri, Nouri al-Maliki, Massoud Barzani, etc. They each have their own political party that is bereft of ideology and largely act as vehicles for their leader’s personal advancement. The government is still used to enrich the leadership and dish out patronage. The country’s institutions are still weak, and unable to constrain these individuals, and there is still no concept of an opposition as all parties are included in national unity governments. Finally, in neither period was the interests of the public really considered. The growing gap between the people and their representatives would eventually lead to the 1958 coup. Today, there are annual protests every summer, which pass as the heat dies down. Could this anger eventually boil over to a revolution or will the politicians be able to ride out this wave of resentment?