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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: kumar who wrote (94939)	4/19/2003 11:53:10 AM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

>>for a country like Iraq, where many have no water/electricity/food, "ideals" and "concepts like democracy or whatever" take a back seat<< I think the above is incorrect. Democracy is the best way of ordering society so that there can be an orderly distribution of water, electricity and food. Orderliness doesn't derive from the top down, it derives from the bottom up. Personal responsibility derives from personal empowerment. That's why democratic societies excel at disaster relief. It's also why disenfranchised elements of society loot when the power goes off.

To: kumar who wrote (94939)	4/19/2003 12:33:14 PM
From: paul_philp	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

where many have no water/electricity/food, "ideals" and "concepts like democracy or whatever" take a back seat. The conversation was about ideals. It started with Ken posting a proposed Iraq constitution highlighting the 'ideals' in that constitution. A solid constitution for Iraq is about ideals and is far from a back seat issue. The history of America shows that the 'food and water' versus 'constitutional ideals' is a false dichotomy. America never compromises one for the other, not for a day. Neither should Iraq. Neither should any country. Paul