What to do about North Korea...?

Again -- you guys that expect democracy to work overnight in Iraq are
simply showing your ignorance. It won't happen -- no, it CAN'T happen
-- in a mere four years. Or ten. It hasn't happened here (in many
parts of America) yet.

If it's so bad, why are we delivering it to the rest of the world?

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Again -- you guys that expect democracy to work overnight in Iraq are
simply showing your ignorance. It won't happen -- no, it CAN'T happen
-- in a mere four years. Or ten. It hasn't happened here (in many
parts of America) yet.

If it's so bad, why are we delivering it to the rest of the world?

Democracy is a terribly corrupt and inefficient system.

It's also the best system we've yet devised.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

If it's so bad, why are we delivering it to the rest of the world?

Democracy is a terribly corrupt and inefficient system.

It's also the best system we've yet devised.

This still doesn't give us, the new kid on the block, the right to force
it down the throats of others at gunpoint, sacrificing the lives of OUR
CHILDREN in the process.

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Jay, I just thought that I would point out, that you are doing the
'wrestling with the pig" bit. You get all dirty, and the pig likes it.

There is no point you could make, that would change his mind.
--
Jim in NC

In article ,
"Morgans" wrote:

Jay, I just thought that I would point out, that you are doing the
'wrestling with the pig" bit. You get all dirty, and the pig likes it.

There is no point you could make, that would change his mind.

Jim, be fair.
We (USA) do strong-arm our friends, depending on which way the winds are
blowing. It's called "national interests".
I really enjoy "diplomat speak" and trying to figure what they really
mean when they say something.

On Fri, 07 Jul 2006 13:53:29 +0000, Jose wrote:

If it's so bad, why are we delivering it to the rest of the world?

Fortunately, we're not - at least not deliberately. So I find myself
surprised that people still use the term "democracy" as if it either (1)
describes our system of government or (2) would be useful for other
nations.

Iraq is, in fact, a good example of a nation that would be destroyed by
democracy. Much of the trouble there recently results from Shiites - the
majority - taking actions against minority groups. Why bother? When
"democracy" is established, they can just vote that all Sunnis should have
to work for free, or move to one city, or be dead.

Of course, we've been pressuring the Iraqi government to be less than
completely democratic in this respect. And good thing that, too!

The Palestinian territories serve as a good example of democracy in
action. What should the world do if a population's majority wants to be
lead by terrorists? By religious fanatics? By nut jobs? By illiterates?
By people in the pocket of one special interest group or another?

For all our use of this buzz word "democracy", what we really need to be
spreading around the world is the concept of "respect for rights". Only
when a society protects the rights of individuals, including individuals
that are in some minority, can a democracy (or even a democratic republic)
serve a worthy goal.

If a society awards all people the right to live, then we don't have to
worry about a democracy voting killers into office. If a society awards
all people the right to freedom, then we don't have to worry about a
democracy voting for ethnic cleansing.

Sadly, we've our own religious fanatics in this country setting a poor
example. How can it hurt my marriage if a pair of guys or gals is
permitted to marry? What they do couldn't possibly hurt me. Yet rather
than show the world what "respect for rights" means, we've in fact shown
just how narrow a meaning "rights" can have, even here.

No, democracy isn't the answer - at least by itself. If we don't manage
to export a respect for the rights of our fellow humans (regardless of all
those many criteria by which we can divide ourselves), then "democracy" is
just going to put more groups like Hamas into power.

So where is this on our national agenda?

- Andrew

For all our use of this buzz word "democracy", what we really need to be
spreading around the world is the concept of "respect for rights".

Does this include the right of a nation to be soverign over its people?

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Jose wrote:

For all our use of this buzz word "democracy", what we really need to be
spreading around the world is the concept of "respect for rights".


Does this include the right of a nation to be soverign over its people?

Yes, it does as long as they aren't threatening other countries. Iraq
did this in 1990 and I think the invasion then was warranted. I think
we should have went after Saddam then when we had good justification,

This is the main reason I don't agree with the more recent Iraq invasion
as I don't think we had sufficient justification at that time that Iraq
was a threat to us.


Matt

Does this include the right of a nation to be soverign over its people?


Yes, it does as long as they aren't threatening other countries.

Does this include us?

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Jose wrote:

Does this include the right of a nation to be soverign over its people?



Yes, it does as long as they aren't threatening other countries.


Does this include us?

Sure. What is your point?

Matt