To: Maurice Winn who wrote (272505 ) 1/3/2010 5:55:24 PM From: Hawkmoon 2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 281500 Democratic countries do seem to do better, in general, than the alternatives. But it's still a very ugly business with winner takes all democracy. Slavery is not out of the question with democracy, even if the slaves can vote. Big government and spending OPM is the big weakness of democracy. No doubt.. Look at the democratic evolutionary path the US has traveled over the past 200 years.. Labor laws, Women and Blacks voting.. Gay rights.. etc, etc, etc.I can see a movement to a democratic system in which he who pays the piper calls the tune. Some would say, "Unfortunately, we already have that system and the USA has the best politicians money can buy". Y'know.. so long as the American people CHOOSE to keep themselves informed and activist, even if via the internet, we can make a difference and prevent the power elite from disenfranchising us. But we have to be willing to speak up. And more importantly, we have to be willing to elect people who dedicated to protecting the interests of their constituencies over the interests of supranational corporations. Corruption exists in EVERY SOCIETY. It exists in Muslim societies, if not to an even greater extent (look at the Palestinians as a prime example). It requires a strong democratic process, as well as a media free of political influence and coercion, to keep a society free and the power elite, accountable to the people. Islamic Fascism will prove no different.. Just a different set of masters serving their own conceited power grabs veiled in the cloak of religiosity. I'd just rather avoid having to go through the bloody motions. Hawk