It’s hard to know whether Baghdad is headed in the “right direction” or the “wrong direction,” as an American pollster might ask. Relying on journalists for information is a rather imprecise science, to put it mildly. Is it possible to define a measurement or two that might give us a handle on things? How about housing prices? If we can agree that real-estate prices will rise when people believe in the future, then this story in today’s LA Times is very good news.