Originally posted by kingdavid
Speaking of democracy,I gather that the majority of Americans are against this war.Correct me if I'm wrong.I'm going by the premise I'm right.
Now,if Bush cannot listen to his own people,what the hell is he doing going on about "undemocratic" regimes?
Why should he be trusted to do this right?
Why should any govt.'s intention,in it's sorting out another country,be trusted?
Just how do we know?From you past?From what you tell us?
WHAT?

[u]All[/u] forms of government provide some degree of separation between the will of the people and the actions of their government. What makes democracy special, is that it minimises this separation. It does not totally eliminate it. It also provides some protection from 'Tyrany by the Majority', whereby minorities would be trampelled by an unrestrained majority. One of the true tests of any form of government is an examination of how it treats unpopular elements of society.

Most protesters voice opinions that are disagreed with by others. In a democracy, there is an identified, supported, right to express opinions, whether those opinions are popular or not. Such concepts require a delicate balance to be applied in order to set limits on individual rights. Your right to shake your fist at me, ends where my nose begins.

By contrast, consider how much popular opinion in Iraq is opposed to Saddam Hussein? How much of that popular sentiment is able to find public expression? Contrary to heart-felt wishes that the Iraqi people have only to 'stand up for themselves', it is a sad fact, that ruthless dictators like Saddam Hussein do not fall to popular uprisings.

Left undisturbed, Iraq will cintinue to suffer cruelly under the current regime until Saddam dies. And then he would be succeeded by more of the same. The only hope for the Iraqi people would be that the next dictator, or maybe the one after that, would be less skilled/ruthless in imposing his will on the nation. Then, and only then, would there be some possibility of overthrow by a popular uprising of the people.

As Raskolvikov has said, to sit idly by, and do nothing, is to aid this criminal in his subjugaton of his people. That amounts to murder by indifference.