Jan 31 2006
Blinded By Democracy
BLINDED BY DEMOCRACY - Yahoo! News
Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice’s frank words after the gigantic Hamas electoral victory in Gaza last weekend should be engraved in bronze in a prominently displayed plaque in the lobby of the State Department.No, I take that back. Identical plaques should be hung in the lobby of the Pentagon, over the secretary of Defense’s desk, at the entrance to the Oval Office in the White House and in the vice president’s office.
In her own words, the plaques would read: “I’ve asked why nobody saw it coming. It does say something about us not having a good enough pulse.” Then it would be signed “Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who for some inexplicable reason did not foresee the Hamas victory in 2006.”
Bush and his administration — Hell, the entire crowd over at PNAC — need to take a careful lesson about getting what you ask for. Democracy means that the majority gets what they want, and powerful minorities get votes. (Note that I said “powerful minorities”, which explains why the Democrats can’t seem to have any power in our Democracy.)
The problem with this wonderful democracy-spreading plan is when your majority (and/or your powerful minorities) are opposed to concepts like equality and diplomacy.
This is what the CATO Institute was getting into with their shocking admission that half-assed Democracies are more dangerous than their dictatorial counterparts, and it’s part of the reason why Bush (correctly) talked in opposition to “nation building” in the 2000 election.
You can’t build a democracy — you can’t force people to take ownership of their government. You need to foster democracy, which is done through fair trade, education, infrastructure, and the creation of a middle class.
Trying to starve people, slapping sanctions on them, and removing the very supports on which a capitailst/democratic infrastructure can be built is really counter-productive to the goals of peace and democracy…but we’re about to do it again with Iran.
Edit: This is the impetus behind one of the “Big Lies” that Arianna Huffington asks the President not to say at tonight’s SotU Address.
Popularity: 2% [?]
I think an important case could be made that democracy as an idea is the direct offspring of capitalism. Encourage the capitalism and the people will move towards democracy.
As long as you encourage the capitalism at the real, grass-roots level. Part of the issue in Iran and Saudi Arabia is that all the money is going to the top and staying there.
Encouraging capitalism results in the development of a merchant class, distinct from the leaders. They may be poor, but you get a definite merchant class. This is the group who will fight for more and more political and economic freedoms. It may take a long time, but they will steadily push for it.
Again, as long as you encourage the capitalism at the real, grass-roots level.
I note that the Oil-for-Palaces program failed in that respect, as did our support for the Fatah.
I also note that the best way I can tell to get in there and do it is through genuine free trade and free-market (as opposed to government-controlled) infrastructure expansion.
Note that this is the same problem we’re having here- the money is going to the top, and staying there. See the collected works of Bonddad, but most specifically this post.