A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics
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A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics | |
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July 30, 2005The Bane Of DemocracyLatin America has managed to stay mostly democratic over the last decade, but many of their governments have not performed well. One reason is corruption
I point this out with reference to events in the Middle East, and the notion that democracy is a solution to the problems faced there. Democracy is a good thing in and of itself, but the difficultly faced by Latin American democracies, which were plagued by terrorism in the 1970's, shows that democracy is not in and of itself a cure for terrorism. I think the Bush Administration's push for democracy in the Middle East fills more of a need to give meaning and purpose to American policy rather than actually addressing security issues. Posted by rickheller at July 30, 2005 10:29 AMComments
In the case in Brazil, it's important to remember that while the recent corruption cases are embarrassing, they aren't all bad. There is a free press reporting the corruption allegations. Government officials and congressmen have been forced to resign and more resignations are possibly on the way. Public information and accountability are steps forward that the Middle East has yet to take. It's easy to poke fun at countries like Brazil, who face these scandals in the media. However, worse scandals occur in the Middle East and Africa and often go unreported. While Brazil seems to be going through a rough time, it is also in some ways a sign that democracy is working. Posted by: boz at July 30, 2005 12:11 PMI am an award-winning journalist and columnist who recently announced the "Ruminations on America" project. I'm looking for essays from coast to coast that encompass all perspectives on the current state of the union and true American core values. The guidelines are available on my blog, www.ruminationsonamerica.blogspot.com. Posted by: Rita J. King at July 30, 2005 02:09 PMDemocracy in the ME will mostly cure the terrorism threat of states, or failed states, supporting terrorists getting WMDs and using them on Civilization. The Bush doctrine is great for defense. Most democracies, including the USA and France, have had and will have corruption scandals. Basically, corruption involves using the power of the gov't to enrich oneself. Getting rich using Other People's Money. Human Rights is the goal; democracy is the best means known. Corruption is part of the price. It's a lower price with smaller gov't. Almost always. Posted by: Tom Grey - Liberty Dad at July 31, 2005 12:49 PM |
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