Reply #18: No, we need to find a way to promote and nurture true democratic

[RaleighNCDUer]

movements in the middle-east. A stage-managed vote that just somehow comes out supporting bush cronies in Iraq is not indicative of developing democracy. A show vote in Palestine, when the Israeli's have the military veto, is not indicative of developing democracy. A popular uprising in Lebanon, forcing the resignation of the pro-Syrian government might be -- but we need to see what they will replace it with. Will Lebanon return to being the most westernized, most cosmopolitan, most liberal country of the Muslim world, as it was before the civil war and 20 years occupation by Israel and 10 years occupation by Syria? As a side note, Was Lebanon a democracy before the civil war? I remember there were power sharing agreements between the christians and muslims, but I don't remember how they selected their chief executive and their government.

I'm not saying that Muslim countries are incapable of democracy. I'm saying that unless democracy is brought about by popular action, rather than imposed by an invading force, it will not survive. Remember, Weimar Germany, democracy imposed by the victors of WWI, survived for only 12 years before Hitler was voted into power.