Free Elections for a Former Enemy

The National Archives recently released dozens of WWII-era news reels, including one fascinating reel featuring Japan's first post-war election, in 1946.

The images of angry political protests and men and women lined up to vote (75 % turnout) will be familiar to anyone who followed the Iraq elections, and it helps put post-war Iraq into a little more perspective. 

You need Google Video to view the files, but what did you expect?  Google is evil.