That's somewhat of a fallacious generalization, John. Yes, it is difficult and it takes time. But you know what, in business management terms, we see change as requiring time. When a business changes its culture, it requires years for the complete change over. Behaviorists will tell you that normally 20-30% will quickly adapt to the change, The middle 30% adapt over several months to a year, with a large number of stragglers that take a long time. Then there are those who never adapt, who end up leaving the company for another with a culture similar to what they used to know.
So it is in society. For the Western nations (English speaking primarily), they took centuries to adapt. But Japan and South Korea are awesome democracies (non-English speaking) that have learned the values of freedom over a period of less than 50 years. A long time when one thinks of how impatient Americans are, but rather quick in geological terms. Why did Moses keep Israel in the wilderness for 40 years? It would take that long for those with centuries-long slave mentality to be replaced by a generation of people with a new non-slave culture and mentality. So it is with nations. It might take Iraq 40-50 years to switch over to a strong democracy. So what? It means our grandchildren's children will live in a world with one more free nation that isn't run by radical kooks. Cultures can change. It takes time. But I have a long term view of these things. I'm glad our forefathers also had such a long term vision, otherwise they might have given up at Valley Forge or when the Articles of Confederation failed. Gary Smith John W. Redelfs wrote: > > Tom Matkin wrote: > > > The USA and her allies will successfully establish democratic rule in > > > Iraq. > > > > > > A. Certainly > > > B. Probably > > > C. Maybe > > > D. Unlikely > > > E. Certainly not > > > >E. Certainly not. Democratic rule is a privilege that must be earned. > >The people of Iraq cannot have it given to them or established for them > >any more than I can give someone else my own character or discipline. > >All the USA can do is try to improve the circumstances for the growth of > >democracy. In most cases those interventions seem to about as > >successful as premature efforts interventions to help a chick hatch. > > I strongly agree with you, Tom. Freedom, and the western democratic > traditions that establish and maintain freedom are a cultural > phenomenon, > not something that can be imposed from above. The roots of freedom in > the > west go back in the English speaking cultures to medieval Britain. That > is > why we have democracy in the USA, Canada, Australia, and a few other > places. That is also why democracy is so tentative on the European > continent, and almost nonexistent in non western nations. Democracy is > a > mind set that is engendered in families that understand and value > fundamental, God-given human rights. Those families are almost all > English > speaking. > > > John W. Redelfs [EMAIL PROTECTED] > =========================================== > "I know of nothing in the history of the Church or in the > history of the world to compare with our present > circumstances. Nothing happened in Sodom and > Gomorrah which exceeds the wickedness and depravity > which surrounds us now." --President Boyd K. Packer, > February 28, 2004 > =========================================== > All my opinions are tentative pending further data. --JWR > Gerald (Gary) Smith geraldsmith@ juno.com http://www.geocities.com/rameumptom ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit: http://www.topica.com/?p=TEXFOOTER --^----------------------------------------------------------------
