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From: gabor@qantel.UUCP (Gabor Fencsik@ex2642)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: More Thoughts On America-Bashing
Message-ID: <499@qantel.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 5-Aug-85 14:19:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: qantel.499
Posted: Mon Aug  5 14:19:21 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 6-Aug-85 12:43:01 EDT
References: <421@iham1.UUCP>
Reply-To: gabor@qantel.UUCP (Gabor Fencsik@ex2642)
Distribution: net
Organization: MDS Qantel, Hayward, CA
Lines: 27


> What makes anyone think that the rest of the world wants or even cares about
> democracy? ....

> We've shown enough arrogance in our history.  Let's not compound it by trying
> to impose democracy on people who don't care about it. [CARL DEITRICK]

I think this is completely backwards. It is the height of arrogance to
pretend to know what people deprived of the right to free expression want
or do not want. It is even more arrogant to claim that civil liberties,
consent of the governed and popular sovereignty are principles applicable
only to our little corner of the universe.

'Imposing democracy' is a loaded term: we are not in a position to impose
democracy on anyone. When an exceptional historical opportunity to do so
presented itself in 1945, in Japan and Germany, the result was an unqualified  
success. The transplanting of democratic institutions was successful because
the powerful local elites blocking democratic change have been swept away
and discredited.

Democratic procedures can be learned, like literacy or agricultural
techniques. Democratic change in the third world is being blocked by
the moral and physical pressure of entrenched local elites, not by some
mysterious cultural aversion to democracy.

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Gabor Fencsik               {ihnp4,dual,nsc,hplabs,intelca}!qantel!gabor