The true power and righteousness of a government by the people, for It is bizarre to the point of surreal that the turnout If voting meant risking your life and the safety of your family, how As far as the theory that exposure to American values The sad fact is that in truly free, open elections, This is where America must beware. Let’s face it, if What has happened and continues to happen in Venezuela The point is, free elections are a tricky thing. You The ultimate danger to the US Government of this whole It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried. Winston Churchill said that, supposedly, although you never can tell in this day and age of contested attribution. The elections … Continue reading ![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/v4vote.jpg\")
It
\n has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all
\n the others that have been tried. Winston Churchill said that, supposedly,
\n although you never can tell in this day and age of contested attribution.
\n The
\n elections<\/a> going on as we write in
\n Iraq<\/a> are a case and point illustrating
\n both the power and the peril of what we often forget was originally
\n a very revolutionary form of government. Potentially, it still is.<\/p>\n
\n the people and of the people is awesome to behold, although in the opinion
\n of the Dowbrigade it has been quite some time since Our American Breed
\n of democracy has been anywhere close to that Jeffersonian ideal. And
\n in terms of spreading democracy around the globe, the Bush administration
\n need be careful what they ask for, lest they get it – in spades.<\/p>\n
\n in these Iraqi elections is expected to surpass that of the recently
\n concluded,
\n most hotly contested US presidential elections in decades. This is a
\n country where just walking within a city block of a polling place means
\n the very
\n real possibility of being shot or blown up. Where dozens of people
\n are being slaughtered in the streets every day just for trying to HOLD
\n elections. Where names are being taken and retribution is being promised
\n to anyone daring to exercise their democratic right! And they are expecting
\n over
\n 70% turnout!<\/a><\/p>\n
\n many Americans do you think would go out to vote?<\/p>\n
\n will foster the flourishing of democracy elsewhere it is interesting
\n to note that of the quarter-million
\n adult Iraqis<\/a> living in the United States, only
\n 10% even bothered to register<\/a> for these elections, for which they
\n are indeed eligible.<\/p>\n
\n those that are hungry, those that are oppressed, and those who are suffering
\n will turn out at a higher
\n rate than those whose bellies are full and who are basically satisfied
\n with the status quo. For better or worse, this facet of democracy lies
\n at the heart of its radically revolutionary nature.<\/p>\n
\n free and open elections tomorrow created governments of, by and for the
\n people of Pakistan, Jordan, Saudi
\n Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Egypt, Algeria and many more, we would lose most
\n of those few allies and negotiating partners we have in that part of
\n the world. We would also lose access to over half of our imported oil,
\n which
\n would throw our economy into a tailspin it would take a generation to
\n recover from.<\/p>\n
\n is an excellent example of the dangers of rampant democracy. By appealing
\n to the hungry,
\n dissatisfied masses, who in a county like Venezuela are in a clear majority
\n (whether or not they agree with Chavez) he got elected by a landslide.
\n Almost the entire economic power structure of the county and their close
\n friends
\n and colleagues
\n in the US have been trying to get rid of him ever since, but thanks to
\n access to the oil income and that pesky philosophy democracy (he has
\n won two recall elections) the Chavez revolution rolls on. Somehow, though,
\n we suspect its going to end badly for old Hugo.<\/p>\n
\n never know who might get elected. Don’t forget, the Germans elected
\n Adolf Hitler in 1933. How’d that work out for them, and for the rest
\n of us? However, as the Americans have proven, managing<\/em> elections
\n is both an art and a science. Obviously, they will be attempting to manage
\n the new Iraqi elections as artfully as they have managed recent elections
\n in this country, but it is more difficult in the hinterland, where the
\n mechanisms of control are not as sophisticated or ingrained.<\/p>\n
\n Proselytize Democracy strategy is the boomerang effect. If radical ideas
\n like transparent government,
\n official accountability, and participatory democracy with an educated,
\n involved electorate ever found their way back to the States and infected
\n the body politic, we could all be in big trouble. Democracy is a revolutionary
\n idea, especially when the power of a country is concentrated in the hands
\n of a corrupt regime or a privileged minority. Caveat emptor.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"