Article

2006-06-28 Africa North

Mauritania gets taste of freedom, democracy from unlikely source: A military junta

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Posted by Fred 2006-06-28 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Is this guy f*cking nuts?
Military Juntas dont have the best track record for their "Blessings of Liberty".
They may start off playing the nice guy. But in the end the only way they can end up is like Burma.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2006-06-28 08:57|| 2006-06-28 08:57|| Front Page Top

#2 Weeelllll BJ I'm kinda sorta thinkin' that maybe this could really happen.

There have been Military men who have established a gov't and then left the stage (see Turkey). Damn few I'll grant, but it could happen... I'm more concerned with Interior Ministers named Mohamed in a mostly Arab state.

Posted by AlanC">AlanC 2006-06-28 09:18|| 2006-06-28 09:18|| Front Page Top

#3 Military Juntas dont have the best track record for their "Blessings of Liberty".

See, Portugal for an example of the opposite. For examples of military men who keep or restore democracy see also George Washington and de Gaulle (a bastard in many things but who had more genuine respect for democracy than any of his successors: unlike Chirac he resigned when he lost a referendum).

Posted by JFM">JFM 2006-06-28 17:42|| 2006-06-28 17:42|| Front Page Top

#4 Zia al-Haq, Pinochet, Jaruzelski, Argie generals

I haven't done any numbers, and I'm not saying the numbers are astronomically high, but it seems to me there is a better chance of moving to democracy from an authoritarian military government than a civilian dictatorship.

Military leaders don't have a perfect record by any stretch of the imagination, but they can be patriotically motivated as opposed to the craven power hunger that seems to dominate civilian dictators. Part of it may also be that they know their brother officers will protect them from the repercussions after the transfer.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-06-28 18:07|| 2006-06-28 18:07|| Front Page Top

#5 #1: Is this guy f*cking nuts?
Military Juntas dont have the best track record for their "Blessings of Liberty".
They may start off playing the nice guy. But in the end the only way they can end up is like Burma.

UUMMMM, Like George Washington?

Posted by Redneck Jim 2006-06-28 23:43|| 2006-06-28 23:43|| Front Page Top

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