Lets see.
US - civil war to regain the second republic
Closed Japan- Democracy straight away
UK- Centuries to develop quasi democracy. Still closed in many ways
Afghan - Democracy straight away
Kuwait - Now quietly democratic
Germany. Weimar Replubic then Hitler, then democracy
As we can see ms Noonan this messy business. But even coutries who have in their first 50 years (US, France) can sometimes get it right. And it sure beats nuking Mecca, does it not?
Lets see.
US - civil war to regain the second republic
Closed Japan- Democracy straight away
UK- Centuries to develop quasi democracy. Still closed in many ways
Afghan - Democracy straight away
Kuwait - Now quietly democratic
Germany. Weimar Replubic then Hitler, then democracy
As we can see ms Noonan this messy business. But even coutries who have trouble in their first 50 years (US, France) can sometimes get it right. And it sure beats nuking Mecca, does it not?
Prior to a couple of hundred years ago, Democracies were pretty scarce. There were rumblings, and one came forth. In time, there were any number of Democracies, and I can't think of too many of them that came into being without blood being shed. There was no rush though to bring Democracy to the Middle East, because oil contracts could be negotiated with the ruling families, and the world settled into a "status quo" for a time, and those families treated their subjects however benevolently or cruelly as they saw fit. Enter Islamic fascism and suddenly, the free flow of oil, and the threat of unlimited terrorist funding imperils the Democracies of this world. Our choice is clear, and it is can be stated any number of ways. Fight or die, prevail or perish.