07 August 2007

Twentieth Tuesday Topic


While the original justification for invading Iraq was the false allegation that they held weapons of mass-destruction, much of the argumentation shifted to ideas of spreading democracy in the Middle East as the war dragged on.

Do you think democracy as a concept has been helped or hindered by the invasion and occupation of Iraq?

Where do you see democracy in the Middle East in ten years? In twenty?

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2 Comments:

At 09 August, 2007 15:28 , Ted said...

I don't see democracy in the Middle East ever really. Some countries may say they are democratic but I don't think they will ever get over the one party systems. I am sure that when the United States leaves Iraq, the "government" they have now will fall.

www.pafundi.com

Number of Operations Iraq Freedom and Enduring Freedom casualties
as confirmed by U.S. Central Command: 4079

 
At 16 August, 2007 09:28 , Red Valley said...

The conquest of Iraq has weakened democracy movements in the Middle East by way of weakening their reputation. Many in that part of the world now naturally see the democracy movements as principally allied with the policies of the United States, whether they actually are or not. That said, it has only weakened these movements; it has not stopped them. And there are real movements. They exist in Lebanon, in Egypt, in Pakistan, are already established in Qatar, etc. etc. And they are gaining ground in time, but at a slower pace thanks to the imperialist ambitions of the U.S. While it is the fate of conquests to ultimately fail, it is the ruling of history that, in time, democratic systems prevail, especially as third world countries such as those of the Middle East begin to develop more advanced infrastructure and industrialize. If not real democracy, then bourgeois democracy will ultimately prevail in the Middle East. How far off is that day? No one really knows. But I suspect it is nearer at hand than many people think. Perhaps we will not see these movements yet emerging as a dominant force in but 10 years time, but by 20 or 30 years from now, we may be looking at a substantially different situation in the Middle East.

 

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