Democracy? That is too optimistic
Reader comment on item: Iraq: "Could a New Strongman Help?"

Submitted by mike bit (Canada), Nov 15, 2006 at 21:53

I can perhaps agree with the need of a "strongman"...but I hardly believe that you will ever see a democracy in Iraq. Islam is not a religion which engenders democracies...look around the middle east....Egypt with its perpetual "President" Mubarak, Iran's theocracy, the dictatorships of Syria, Libya, Pakistan... princes and kings of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco...and I am sure the list goes on. I can only think of a very few states like Tunisia, Algeria, and Turkey that are democracies, now struggling for survival with the onslaught of radical Islam. I am sure that I am neither the first nor the last to say this.

Until Islam becomes more secular, moderate...a more mature Islam...say in a few hundred years...then yes we could see a democracy in Iraq. In the meantime I truly believe that we should support everyone and no one in Iraq...create divisions, encourage civil war, do everything that is possible to prevent Iraq from becoming yet another theocracy in thrall to Iran. Lebanon is on its way there and Iraq is not far behind. If the various factions in Iraq are fighting themselves perhaps they shall be too busy to terrorize the west. Such a policy should not only be reserved to Iraq...we must enforce policies which encourage division and strife all over the Islamic world. This may sound callous, cold, inhumane...but these are values which are currently crippling us every time we come against those whose values are opposite to ours...you must fight fire with fire...an old saying but certainly true in this situation.

Alas, I do not foresee any politician in the U.S ever supporting such policies. As a nation that enjoys its freedom and liberty Americans cannot imagine any other nation not desiring the same privileges. This blind spot of "political correctness" will surely lead to our demise. We have to face the fact that there are whole nations out there who just do not share the same Judaeo-Christian values... and there are whole groups and organizations in Europe, the US and Canada who do not either...the enemy within is equally dangerous.

Pardon my pessimism but I just do not see any light at the end of this dark tunnel.

MB

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