I oppose the Iraq War, but I don't oppose Islamic democracy

[liberalpragmatist]

I get irritated when I see people on the left or the right indicate the democratic votes in Islamic countries are a bad thing. My quarrel with the Iraq War isn't the elections, nor do I believe that Israel and the U.S. should have blocked Palestinian elections. We screwed over much of the Middle East by backing dictatorships that had little popular support and were awfully corrupt. We must reap what we sow. If the people of a country want an Islamic theocracy or Islamic parties in power, that is their right as sovereign nations.

At the same time, the Neocons are delusional if they think that democracy in most Middle Eastern countries is going to result in secular , pro-American and pro-Israeli governments; maybe 30 or 40 years ago elections would have produced secular (though not pro-America/pro-Capitalist) and maybe some decades from now. Either back democracies and accept that they're going to be anti-Democratic and are going to fuel continued resentment or back democracy in the Middle East and acknowledge that it's likely to lead to Islamist control, at least for the time-being. Democracy, moreover, should not be imposed by force but encouraged through trade, through diplomatic engagement, and through the funding of opposition movements; the people of a given country should be the ones to bring about the change.

[Hissyspit]

1. Iraq will be Theocracy:

if it doesn't fall completely apart. No law shall be passed that contradicts the wisdom of Islam. It's in the new constitution. Any progressive law can be struck down as not "moral." There is nothing in the U.S. Constitution about 'morality.' What we have is the Bill of RIGHTS.

[Erika]

2. The Islamic countries will not buy into our culture

The most we can hope for in the coming decades is that they will allow and embrace other religions to come into their countries.

W didn't understand that cultural difference nor did he respect it. Saddam was secular and did not rule from religiosity. If released from jail, he could probably be elected by the people. He was the stepping stone between an Islamic extremest country and a true democracy.

[wuushew]

3. I disagree with funding opposition movements

n/t