The Democracy Conundrum

Source: NRO (Andy McCarthy)

The basic thing you and those who agree with you insist on as an article of faith — namely, that "of course terrorism and democracy are irreconcilable" — is demonstrably wrong. Whether you like it or not, terrorists have great popular support in Lebanon. It may not be majority popular support, but it is at least substantial popular support. The same is true in the other "young democracies" in the Middle East. As long as the administration continues to confound popular elections with democracy — which is exactly what it is doing, whether you admit it or not — we are going to see this.

The gross irresponsibility here is staggering. While insisting on that which is contrary to the overwhelming evidence, the champions of the Democracy Project have hurled us into this experiment — at a great cost of lives and money — with absolutely no analysis (in fact, with juvenile attacks on anyone with the temerity to suggest that there should be an analysis) of the core question: are Islam and anything we would recognize as democracy reconcilable? You don't want to go there, but you want the rest of us to close our eyes, cross our fingers and hope while you pretend the problem is "terrorism" and "tyranny."

Culture matters. I think if you had to boil the whole thing down to it's crispy essence, that's what you would find. That is not to say that all Muslims are murderous thugs, but they may also not be from a culture conducive to true liberty and democracy.

A sad truth about the human condition, one that this administration would rather die than admit is that on more than rare occasion slaves desire their shackles. Slavery is easier, slavery asks less of the individual. It's like those who have lived too long in prison, after a certain amount of time most people crave order imposed on them, which is almost by default the state of most Muslim countries.

No wonder they find our societies overwhelming and chaotic, we must exercise choice and restraint in almost every scenario and transaction in the west. In other words, we must actually be adults and CHOOSE not to do the bad, dumb, foolish thing rather than have our hands or head removed for not following Allah's perfect plan.

If you were raised in a society where others thought for you how well would you adapt to the bewildering array of choices on display in America? If you were raised from your earliest years to hate this country, could you truly break free from that training? I thank god that I'll never have to know the answers to those questions for myself.

Culture matters. Democracy is a serious business requiring serious people, educated people, people who can make hard decisions. Democracies are like wildflowers, no one can say where they will take root and flourish, or encounter rocky soil and die. It cannot be imposed, freedom cannot be imposed, as crazy as thay may sound to our ears.

Sometimes the slave desires the shackles, and what then?

H/T VFR

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