Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (198505)	8/22/2006 11:21:33 AM
From: michael97123	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

"Democracy is the ONLY FORM OF LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT." Truth is between totalitarianism and democracy there are many hybrid forms that bring some of the goodies. Look at the differnces in existing democracies world wide. US Senate for instance is not a democractic institution by choice. Same for electoral college. So we need to be careful how we use the words. Also at time benign semi-authoritarian regimes serve as bridges as de Gaulle in France. Each nation has to integrate its own history and its own ideologies into any democrcacy so you cant ignore islam when promoting democratic solutions as in hamas won, and hizbolla is indeed popular and women in islamic state democracy may likely be in a place akin to pre-suffrage women here in the US a hundred years ago. Evolution is an imprtant concept here to take into account. Iraq needs less democracy right now and a stronger center or that four region solution i posted earlier. Its too complex just to be pro-democracy in pre-democracy places.

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (198505)	8/24/2006 2:01:57 AM
From: RMF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Hawk, the "viable opposition groups" haven't done too well in Iraq and Iraq was one of the most secular countries in the Middle East. Allawi's secular party has been marginalized almost to the point of non exsistence. You say you don't want to see another "Hamas situation". Well Hamas was DEMOCRATICALLY elected. You're like Bush in saying that ONLY democracies that agree with OUR standards of laws and freedoms are TRUE democracies. I thought the idea of a democracy was that people voted and the majority got to decide how things would work. If Alabama had their OWN democracy and were not bound by "Federal Laws" I'll bet that gays would be locked up and interracial marriage would be illegal and schools would progress back to segregation. Also, evolution would be banned in curriculum and Bible verses and study would be REQUIRED. So don't tell me that the U.S. is light years ahead of the Middle East in secular democracy. BTW..when you say "gangsterism" does that include Karl Rove political strategy...lol