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The Forum > Article Comments > Despots masquerading as democrats > Comments

Despots masquerading as democrats : Comments

By Kenneth Roth, published 12/3/2008

Why bother complying with intrusive human rights law when, with a bit of manoeuvring, any tyrant can pass himself off as a 'democrat'?

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Yindin “This has created the problem we see today and helped the extremists in these countries spread their form of nationalism based on religious and racial intolerance.”

Religious and racial genocide has been taking place in every war ever fought on the planet long before colonization, this has more to do with human nature than British colonization but if you mean that the British caused it by forcing the tribes to live together I agree with you there. The point you made here would seem to back up the fears people have about the future stability of multiculturalism. That is the dubious immigration policy that brings multiple tribes in to live together in one country.

I do agree with you that the West cant stop these genocidal wars indefinitely and is only making enemies of tribes who are thwarted in their aims. Who knows which one of them will target America in a 9/11 type attack for interfering next.
Posted by sharkfin, Thursday, 13 March 2008 12:14:48 AM
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Yindin mate.... you said:

<<So why is it so important for you europeans to export democracy and your way of life to other nations.>>

Well.. I suppose we could always opt for the alternative, Divine Right of Kings and their Colonial Exploits?

But to address your question, I think in all honesty, its not about 'democracy' or whatever..its about 're-shaping other nations into either overtly friendly ones or.. castrating their political unity to make them less of a threat, AND.. democracy is also about an extension of the power which the oligarchy in ours (for example) hold.

When the Americans talk about "Bringing freedom and democracy" they really mean bringing the economic power of THEIR political machinery to bear on the politics of other countries, and establishing deals which are of economic benefit to US corporations, in particular the Arms industry and Pharmeceutical. You see... 'democracy' makes it look a lot better than 'propping up some tin pot dictator' so that you can have the same economic gains :)

Rather than ask 'why do they want to export democracy'.. you should be asking deeper questions about what secretive societies and old boy power groupings exist.. family ties, connections etc...it all comes down to money and power.

Last weekend I and my wife went to Werribee park Mansion. UNNNNNbelievable ! The Churnside family set up this incREDible homestead which looks like you have suddenly dropped in on some regal Lord/Barren/Prince's estate in the heart of England. It is situated on one side of the Weribee river, which formed a dividing border between 2 aboriginal groups....in the same way they came, saw, took... extending Democracy is the same, its just more by publically 'palatable' means :)
Posted by BOAZ_David, Thursday, 13 March 2008 5:47:02 AM
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that's an important point, sharkfin. the cure for military rule, is more military rule: instead of a small professional army working for their generals, disperse military power throughout the citizenry by requiring all citizens to participate in the national militia.

this is the characteristic of athens, and switzerland, the very models of democracy.
Posted by DEMOS, Thursday, 13 March 2008 7:35:53 AM
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In the matter of sociology, human nature allows only two positions.
DICTATORSHIP and ANARCHY. Anyone who forsakes Anarchy can only go towards dictatorship.
Hence all politicians are dictators. It's only question of degrees.
You give your power to a politician or anybody else and you become a servant.
Posted by Alcap, Thursday, 13 March 2008 12:56:05 PM
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“But that is what is needed if the embrace of democracy is not to become a ploy for bypassing international human rights standards in favor of a feel-good, empty alternative.”

Appeasement resolves nothing
Appeasement of dictators leads to the development of copycat Hitlers

If we do not stand up for a democratic values and support it by being prepared to defend it, through all means necessary, we are betraying those values and thus living a lie.

Yindin “When I read this article about despots, I thought the author was talking about John Howard,”

Your knowledge is so obviously deficient in so many ways as to make your post pointless.

Like “If America and Australia were to mind our own business and leave these people do there own thing then maybe we might be a lesser target for violence in the future.”

I see the garb of an appeaser becomes you, please re-read above.
Posted by Col Rouge, Thursday, 13 March 2008 8:59:59 PM
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Difficult question is do you have true democracy under conditions when that would mean all hell would break loose in that country, or do you have a responsible dictatorship? Ie one that does what is generally best for the country, even if that means civil liberties are curtailed in the short term?

Easy for people in the west to moralise about democracy but it helps to remember that even in the west it only came recently, & based on hundreds of years of gradual cultural development to that end. Democracies & democratic institutions cant suddenly materialize, less be imposed on people who have had zero experience of it & it’s totally unrealistic to expect it.

Pakistan’s Musharraf has done wonders for the country in terms of raising standards of living - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Pakistan

- it was a basket case when he came to power and is now the star economic performer in the region since his time at the helm. Do you take this? Or a sham democracy? – which is what every single predecessor was - & have the country stuffed up? Forget true democracy – that takes a long long time.

The west needs to be patient with the rest of the world's gradual move to true democracy. It will come, but not at the flick of a switch.
Posted by KGB, Friday, 14 March 2008 3:43:43 AM
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