Adventures in Dubai: Middle East Democracy
Keefieboy has been posting political of late. My rejoinder to his post was posted in the comments and I've copied them here to prove that I do sometimes write something.
Um...where to begin? Democracy is "not that great"? Really? What of Winston's axiom that it's the "worst form of government except for all the others"? What format is better?
The people of the US voted for Bush. He was duly elected as it was the will of the electorate. Why does that undermine democracy? Because you don't agree with him?
You also ascribe to the Patriot Act the fact that people are being held without charges being filed. Why? The two are not connected. The ruling regarding the Gitmo prisoners was based on Constitutional and International law. Those being held there have no standing before either. They were not protected by Geneva conventions as they violated many rules of war. They are not bound by US law because they are not US citizens and have never set foot in the country. Unfortunately, they fall into the black hole that is the gap between the two. In fact, each and every one of them is subject to summary execution on the battlefield.
You laugh at "bringing democracy to the middle east." How then, do you account for the changes happening there? Eight million Iraqis voted. The Lebanese are throwing the Syrians out. The PA has had it's first elections in 10 years. Egypt is allowing multiple candidates on the ballot next election. Jordan is making noises about elections and even Saudi Arabia held elections recently. Afghanistan held very successful elections as well. I do not think we are forcing democracy or "transplanting" it on anyone. I think it it mankind's natural state and tyrants and dictators have prevented it from blooming in the Middle East before now
Keefieboy has been posting political of late. My rejoinder to his post was posted in the comments and I've copied them here to prove that I do sometimes write something.
Um...where to begin? Democracy is "not that great"? Really? What of Winston's axiom that it's the "worst form of government except for all the others"? What format is better?
The people of the US voted for Bush. He was duly elected as it was the will of the electorate. Why does that undermine democracy? Because you don't agree with him?
You also ascribe to the Patriot Act the fact that people are being held without charges being filed. Why? The two are not connected. The ruling regarding the Gitmo prisoners was based on Constitutional and International law. Those being held there have no standing before either. They were not protected by Geneva conventions as they violated many rules of war. They are not bound by US law because they are not US citizens and have never set foot in the country. Unfortunately, they fall into the black hole that is the gap between the two. In fact, each and every one of them is subject to summary execution on the battlefield.
You laugh at "bringing democracy to the middle east." How then, do you account for the changes happening there? Eight million Iraqis voted. The Lebanese are throwing the Syrians out. The PA has had it's first elections in 10 years. Egypt is allowing multiple candidates on the ballot next election. Jordan is making noises about elections and even Saudi Arabia held elections recently. Afghanistan held very successful elections as well. I do not think we are forcing democracy or "transplanting" it on anyone. I think it it mankind's natural state and tyrants and dictators have prevented it from blooming in the Middle East before now
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