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Politics : High Tolerance Plasticity -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Warpfactor who wrote (9508)	10/14/2001 4:57:14 PM
From: Dale Baker	Respond to of 23153

I read it when it first came out. On the ground overseas, where this abstract debate plays out, thugs have a zillion excuses for limiting or avoiding democracy altogether. The excuses are made by thieves and bullies who want free license to use the power of the state or their private militia to rip off and screw over everybody else. "Elitist" views of democracy are just about the only hope most impoverished peasants have that they won't spend their lives getting pounded into the turf by the goons who are so efficient at staving off "security threats" whenever they rear their ugly head (i.e. someone trying to knock the current thugs out of power). Africa has faltered because the leadership consistently undermines democratic norms or isn't strong enough to stand up to the military dictators who don't like the "messy" consequences (not getting to do whatever they want to whomever they want without somebody complaining about murder and torture). The problem is a LACK of democracy, not a consequence of it. Dictatorships never thrive and flourish over time. They contain structural obstacles to social and economic progress. Can you name one that has outperformed a lasting democracy? Those views come from having lived in Africa and former communist Europe, not just reading and speculating about the situation. Be careful which Big Brother you embrace - Orwell had a point or two that apply to just about any society on the planet.