> > I guess the Iraqis are just too stupid or thuggish to want democracy > for themselves > > Democracy is not the product of enlightenment, it's a lifestyle, and > it's one that some people may not like and/or understand. Further, > democracy requires responsibility and participation. And not just in > big national elections - it requires it all the way down to the local > level. An elected dictator is still a dictator - his election did > not > prove a democratic state.
Democracy is a lifestyle? Who exactly is the elected dictator of Iraq? All of this bloviating without any specific facts to back it up makes you sound like Rush (though I don't actually listen to Rush, I know what he sounds like). > > I said it before and I'll say it again, you (and many others) are > just bound and determined to call > > That's either a cop out or a lack of understanding. I'd be the first > to put on the party hat if we could've walked out of Iraq 2 years ago. Maybe I misunderstand your position. > To call the handling of > the occupation "bungled" is an insult to bunglers. I don't necessarily agree with that all around. On a strategic level, there has been a huge amount of bungling, to be sure. On a tactical level with the soldiers in the field, we've done a remarkably good job, and despite the strategic blundering, we have made tremendous progress. Compare where we are today from where we were just after the war- no government, no institutions, no banking system, very little operating infrastructure. > In short, national elections don't mean shit unless there's a > groundswell of local democracy happening. If there is, I haven't > heard about it, and it certainly doesn't seem as if our efforts are > concentrated on ground-up democracy, but rather top-down. As Tip O'Neill said, "All politics is local." People have not trudged out into the heat and dust against the threat of snipers and suicide bombers because some national body demanded elections. They have risked life and limb to vote because they want to be heard. They want to be represented. In short, they want democracy! I find it amazing how many so-called liberal thinkers mock the notion that people want their voices to be heard. No, they would rather live in oppression and tyranny! That's all they have every known, they must prefer it! Please. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:185274 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
