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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| An errant push for democracy first |
| 2007-04-18 |
| In Iraq, the U.S. has failed to heed Woodrow WilsonÂ’s lesson of self-determination. Instead, dysfunctional borders merely cement foreign policy failures of the past. By Ralph Peters |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #2 I agree with Peters on the borders issue. WE consider these European designated borders as sacred when they shouldn't be. The borders were drawn to allow the Europeans to play divide and conquer with the locals, usually that meant putting a minority in charge over a majority. This worked back in the day but has horrible implications now (see Rwanda, see Iraq). We should have divided Sudan as a warning and then established three administrative areas in Iraq that corresponded to the three main groups. Then let the threat be otherwise unspoken. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2007-04-18 16:08 |
| #1 There are so many voices that have long screamed that Arabs are either so inferior that they cannot understand democracy; or that it is unnatural to them; or for what ever other reason they just should never be given democracy. Such voices were ignored long ago, and they should be ignored now. Democracy was never meant to be an ideal. It does not solve problems instantly. All it offers is a better *way* to solve problems than any alternative. It is also not very fast in solving problems. For example, democracy in the Paleo territories was declared a failure after its first try. But it is a place raked with anarchy and chaos, of armed gangs and corrupt warlords. Democracy cannot succeed in a place where there is no responsible alternative in leadership--no one to take a stand for legitimate governance. Voting means nothing if there is no one to vote for--no real choice. But if someone of character does eventually stand up, strong enough to not be killed immediately, then there is a good chance the Paleos themselves would find in them a popular alternative. From that point, democracy has a meaning. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-04-18 14:27 |