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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (279777)	3/12/2006 1:22:25 PM
From: steve harris	Respond to of 1572378

quotas just change which group gets screwed.... tell me how you think quotas makes things equal...

To: tejek who wrote (279777)	3/13/2006 1:20:14 AM
From: Elroy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1572378

Published: 03/13/2006 12:00 AM (UAE) Western-style democracy 'not needed' in UAE By Faisal Masudi, Staff Reporter Abu Dhabi: Incorporating wholesale Western-style democracy in the Arab world will not work, UAE nationals at a conference on political changes said. Nationals and other Arabs said they did not seek reforms but were happy to have a political system that worked for them instead of a "copycat" democracy imposed from outside. The comments came after prominent speakers yesterday discussed the Middle Eastern political landscape during the first day of a three-day conference organised by the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR). Nationals attending the forum told Gulf News that fresh ideas were welcome, provided they did not clash with local traditions. Salem Khalifah, a public sector worker, said he disagreed with former US defence secretary William Cohen who urged regional leaders to make decisions at a "terrible velocity". Different culture "We're moving forward with new leadership in the UAE. But democracy should not come like a flood that will inundate us all it must come in several stages. And we need our own style of democracy because there's a difference between Eastern and Western cultures. We can't simulate a Western model in our country," he said. He pointed out elections in Iraq did not end violence there and the US-imposed system proved unsuccessful. "The UAE is changing at an OK speed in any case, we don't need to rush or we'll face great difficulties." During the forum, Cohen stated the Iraqi case was wrought with "miscalculations." "It [Iraq] hasn't worked out ? at least not yet," he said. Another UAE citizen said America had not done enough to convince them to accept its foreign policies, especially with respect to its push for democracy. "Where is it [democracy]? We don't see it. They need to convince their own people first about it. There's too much segregation there between whites and black, and rich and poor," said Ali Musleh Al Ahbabi. Saeed Khalifa, a student, said: "There's no need for a system copied from Western countries. We have a traditional system here. The point is it works. Whatever works well with people's values, whether it be democracy or a ruling family, should be implemented." Hussan Al Din Jaber, secretary for Journal Strategic, a think-tank based in Bahrain, said regimes bore most of the responsibility when it came to reform. "Bahrain is a good example of the transfer of democracy: the king, outside people and their own people work together to bring political rights in the country." Abdul Rahman Al Attiyab, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said democracy was unacceptable "if it affects the culture it is meant to govern in a negative way". But he said governments must focus on badly-needed reforms such as in education and health.