Will the Western democracy with global free trade be the future or will it be something much darker?
Gotta love that "much", suggesting that "Western democracy with global free trade" is already something pretty dark...
But seriously, how is the current campaign in Afghanistan doing anything that can be remotely conducive of democracy, even before we distorted the meaning of that word beyond recognition? In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
failure will spell upheaval as they see that they too can defeat the West as well.
The domino theory again? Sigh... In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
The few occupations that 'take hold' involve colonization and genocide. Do you propose to send waves of emigrants to establish a 'Western' outpost in Afghanistan? I don't see much of a movement for that development.
Genocide - a case could be made that the U.S. promoted genocide in Viet Nam and in Iraq. But, without that colonization part, it's merely inhumane, self-defeating, and disgusting. (With colonization - well - history is written by the survivors.)
Ah - the white man's burden. What is the nearly unanimous desire of people throughout the world? To be left alone to make a reasonable living among their fellows. Only a small group of felonious vandals and predators want to make a mess in their neighbor's bailiwick - let alone halfway around the world. Unfortunately, these small groups are able to influence somewhat larger groups from time to time - to organize them into a mob which has a markedly different set of principles than most of the individuals involved. Be a friend of the world - resist this influence. paul spencer
Re: But seriously, how is the current campaign in Afghanistan doing anything that can be remotely conducive of democracy,
I think you are looking at it through blurred lens -- try seeing it in another context, ie, helping Afghanistan in nation building or as the author says, the need to see it at a humanitarian level.
However, following your line of thought, it IS possible. How? It took Europe centuries and centuries of warring and tens and tens of millions of deaths before we could even begin to remotely say that Europe was demoratic. So, let me play the advocate: Given that, couldn't we say that the Afghanistan campaign is bound to be conducive to democracy?
To pose the two as causally linked in such a straightforward way seems questionable enough. To suggest that war and deaths are necessary and sufficient precursors of democracy seems more than a bit ridiculous. Yeah, that's the problem with dictatorships. Their countries have just not experienced enough wars and deaths to have become properly democratized. Yup, that's what's missing, alright!
It took Europe centuries and centuries of warring and tens and tens of millions of deaths before we could even begin to remotely say that Europe was demoratic.
Was democracy the result of these wars and deaths?
Were they inflicted by outside forces?
How about something much brighter?
