Is democracy right for every nation?

[The Chameleon]

I pose this question: "Is democracy right for every part of the world?"

It seems the American ethos perscribed this. It is a noble and lofty ideal, but in my view perhaps unrealistsic.

Seems everytime some nation/insurgent tries to shove democracy downt he throats of a nation that has never had it, tonnes of poeple die, the quality of life goes down, people get poorer and starve and the country ends up destroyed. Even more telling is the suicide bombing aspect of many conflicts. Suicide bombings are directly related to insugancy by outside countries. Basically the people of the nation (that is apprently being helped), feel they are being invaded and they have no where to go, so they resort to drastic measures. If an invading nation leaves the suide bombing stop. I point to Afagahnistan, Iraq, Vietnam, and Korea etc...

I am inclined to beleive that in some parts of the world democracy is not relevant, when one takes into account centuries of communism, dictatorships, fuedalism or any other form of governance. It seems in many of these countries the oppressed simply want to be the oppressors, they do not invision an equal society, rather just thier social/religious groups on top.

It would seem to me that if the people of a nation want democracy then they and they alone must change it, through revolution. If outside nations go in an prop up phony leaders, figure heads, and spearhead the majority of military action, then there is no ownership by the people, and when the outsiders leave, the whole house of cards falls.

I wonder if the US and it's accomplises should simply stop forcing democracy and focus on offering humanitarian aid and improving the quality of life in these regions.

Your thoughts........

[phishtaper]

Democracy cannot be imposed from above. It has to grow from below.

The US is absolutely wrong in its Spreading Democracy Tour and if the world is still around in a hundred years, it will be clearly seen as a huge failure.

What was the number in the Globe this morning? 650,000 dead Iraqis? Nice.

[bradm]

Is communism right for every country? Is fascism right for every country? It's not just the specific system (e.g. democracy), that, when imposed, causes strife, it's the imposing itself that causes the strife. Don't confuse what is being imposed with the act of imposing it, as the two are not the same thing.

Aloha,

Brad

[StoneMtn]

Is there a single political system, universally regarded as "democracy"?

[The Chameleon]

Is communism right for every country? Is fascism right for every country? It's not just the specific system (e.g. democracy), that, when imposed, causes strife, it's the imposing itself that causes the strife. Don't confuse what is being imposed with the act of imposing it, as the two are not the same thing.

Aloha,

Brad

I agree with you totally BradM. Any political system that is alien to a nation and imposed upon it, is a problem. You are correct it is the imposing.

I was using democracy as an example as it is the political system that seems to be the most attention of late given the current conflict.

I also agree with Phishtaper that democracy has to grow from below and spread, not be forced from above.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Would people stand/be involved in a system like, say, Switzerland's, where you have to vote on pretty much every damned little thing?

People tend to be lazy and want to surrender control. "Obedience," said Thomas Huxley once, "is the weak link in the chain."

[ollie]

Was Japan a democracy before World War 2?

[bradm]

Sort of. According to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan#Government_and_politics

In academic studies, Japan is generally considered a constitutional monarchy, based largely upon the British system with strong influences from European continental civil law countries such as Germany and France.

According to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan#Modern_Japan

Japan introduced a parliamentary system modeled after the British parliament, with ItÅ Hirobumi as first Prime Minister in 1882.

Aloha,

Brad

Edited October 11, 2006 by Guest

[phishtaper]

oh, but surely there are some political systems / structures that do have the potential to be successfully imposed from above. (as to how well they would function or how much strife would result, well, that's another question.) but, democracy isnt one of the ones that could ever be successfully imposed from above.

[Birdy]

imposing democracy really deflates the true meaning of the word... "rule by the people".

[djmelbatoast]

Democracy from its very inception was never meant to suggest, "rule by the People". It was meant to be rule by the very wealthy, who don't happen to be the king.

[Birdy]

I think, like any political philosophy, it sounds better on paper... and the practicality of it's theory is lost when actually applied. I don't hold the Greeks, or the US or whoever had/has their hand at making democracy work to blame. I rather cough it up to natural law-- there has and always will be stronger and weaker when it comes to any given society, leaders and followers.

Still though, if different forms of government were being passed around on a platter for the taking, i'd pick up some democracy.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Power to the peaceful... who never get any.

[phishtaper]

We are the priests

Of the temples of syrinx

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Ew, too much Ayn Rand .

[Birdy]

ew, too much glass half empty.

[hamilton]

I wonder if the US and it's accomplises should simply stop forcing democracy and focus on offering humanitarian aid and improving the quality of life in these regions.

They could also focus on actually improving the level of democracy in their own countries.

[StoneMtn]

Still though, if different forms of government were being passed around on a platter for the taking, i'd pick up some democracy.

Profound statement; actually. I can't recall who said it (although I'll betcha DEM will tell us within an hour) but some smart guy once said, "Democracy is the worst political system out there; except for all the others."

[bradm]

Some googling led to

http://www.phototour.minneapolis.mn.us/essays/democracy.html

where the quote is attributed to Winston Churchill.

Aloha,

Brad

[The Chameleon]

I wonder if the US and it's accomplises should simply stop forcing democracy and focus on offering humanitarian aid and improving the quality of life in these regions.

They could also focus on actually improving the level of democracy in their own countries.

Exactly! I really feel that the US is the worst type of faux democracy. It is really a facism tarted up as a democracy to keep the masses complacent.

It's funny for a country called "the land of the free", the have less freedom than we do here. At least courties like Iran and N.Korea preach dictatorship and practice dictatorship.

[StoneMtn]

That was exactly my point at the outset of this discussion when I said:

Is there a single political system, universally regarded as "democracy"?

"Democracy" is such a vague term, with so many different implementations, that the topic of this thread is too general for any reasoned discussion. I don't even think that is a controversial statement, either, in any way.

[timouse]