I'm going to meet Republicans halfway here. A frequent claim made, when defending the Iraq war, is that we gave the Iraqis the Democracy that they craved. I usually brush this off as another lie, (Weapons of Mass Destruction! Hussein was tied up with 9/11!) but clearly, this is not a lie. Events in Iran reinforce the idea that the Middle East passionately wants free and fair elections.
Where I part company with my Republican brethren (and you are my brethren, except those of you who are my sistern) is on this: they clearly want Democracy, but they don't want Americans giving it to 'em. If we gave them the chance in Iraq, the first thing they'd vote out would be us. Guaranteed. Democracy won't transform the Middle East into a benign haven for us. It will, however, give the PEOPLE who hate us more power and the GOVERNMENT who hates us less.
This is why, if you aren't rooting for Ahmadinejad (yes, I had to cut and paste the name) the last thing you want is for Obama to speak out in support of his opponent. Once that guy becomes the American Choice, his political career is over. Let's step back and let the rest of the world handle this one, shall we? They have their uses sometimes too.
I think you are wrong to assert that us "giving" them democracy is wrong merely because they don't want it from us. After all, when it's generations later and they HAVE it, whether we gave it to them or not doesn't matter. What matters is that they have it!
ReplyDeleteOn spreading democracy, it is the democracy that matters not who brought it. And if we can bring it, then we've done good whether we get credit or not.
Besides, on the long run, every tyrant defeated is good for everyone.
Then again, some people (like Democrats) would rather let others struggle under constant despotism for their (Democrats) own personal temporary political expediency.
Besides, the Founders felt that America was the example to the world and that we should help everyone be like us.
But, I know that Democrats hate "us" and don't feel that everyone should be like us. So, it is their role to cast aspersions on the USA and hope for its failure abroad.
I am going to say it straight out. Our culture is BETTER than anyone else's. We are the top of the food chain for a reason. We are BETTER.
I know that many lefties get their panties in a bunch and cry "jingoism," but I don't give a flying crap for foreign culture. Ours is better and I don't care who hears us say it.
I keep wondering what we are supposed to do about Iran. A strongly worded letter to the Times perhaps?
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