Arab Transition To Democracy No Simple Task

IBD Editorials ^ | March 11, 2011 | DAVID IGNATIUS

[Kaslin]

After the radiant sunrise of the Arab spring, here's a somber shadow: Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries making the transition to democracy are likely to face severe economic problems over the next several years — ones that could bring chaos if the Arabs and their friends in the West aren't wise.

For the dimensions of this economic transition, think of the Marshall Plan after World War II, but add several complicating factors:

• The U.S. and many of the European governments that would fund such a program can't afford it.

• The new democracies don't have governments yet to manage the assistance and probably won't for months.

• The Arab people are likely to be prickly about accepting help, especially if it has U.S. strings attached.

And here's one more post-revolutionary worry: Many of the initiatives that will be popular with the people, such as across-the-board wage increases and subsidies, will be good politics but bad economics. The public sector is already too big in countries such as Egypt and Tunisia, and there will be pressure to expand it even more as the economic crisis worsens.

[samtheman]

And turning lead into gold isn’t easy either.

[Ev Reeman]

A democracy or a republic is not easily governable but it definitely has its many strong points. It is also far from perfect but such a system of government is the best possible especially for countries and their citizens.

The reason is because this type of government promotes peace, stability, prosperity and especially freedom and liberty for people.

It starts with the writing of a Constitution and the adoption of a specific group of laws.

America should be used as a model in this regard.

[GeronL]

They aren’t democracies until they hold free and fair elections and the minorities and opposition aren’t beaten or killed and thrown in prison. Then they have to have new free and fair elections at regular intervals.

Then they can be called “democracies”.

They are not “New Democracies” at this point.

[doc1019]

I think it would be easier to turn lead into gold then to get any of these countries to become a democracy. IMHO

[SkyPilot]

Muslim countries simply can't have democracies or republics, because they don't have the moral underpinnings of Judeo-Christianity. America was great because she had this moral foundation.

Ask Alexis de Tocqueville.

Sadly, fewer and fewer Americans have a moral foundation, belief in God, and the inherent fear of God to be able to possess true freedom.

See Wisconsin, and learn about something 10 times worse coming soon to a theater near you. When we finally can't borrow anymore, our nation will implode.

[lurk]

The thinking is that Arabs can be domesticated and civilized.

The thinking is wrong.

Representative government must be built on a Judeo-Christian ethic, or it will end up failing.

[eleni121]

Arab? NO -— Mr Ignatius the problem is not about the Arabs.

It is about Muslims- muslim anything—their ideology cannot bear the idea of a democracy in a pluralistic state. Just as a Communist state cannot co exist within a democratic framework.

[himno hero]

That is what put the juice into the last 2000 years of political and philosophical thought. And, then there would have to be lessons in British history and such things as the Magna Carta and how much of it was imported into American law.

A great reason for them to look at the Judeo Christian process is to gauge it by it’s final product.... what the old might recognize from the last century .... the Free Industrialized West. At what point did Islam, Africa or Asia generate anything better?

Sure these people can parrot the words democracy, rights , liberty, freedom etc etc.... but there is a whole culture and supporting infrastructure behind it.

[volunbeer]

I agree with you.

A nation or a majority must possess the right mindset and wisdom for self-determination. Sharia law will rule the day because that is what the mob screams for and the mob rules in a vacuum.

If the Obama administration thinks the protestors are going to be America’s life-long friends we are in worse shape than I imagined. This “democracy” movement will inevitably lead to war with Israel because the mob leaders will have to blame their failures on someone and history shows us where that blame will be focused. They will also blame America no matter how many aircraft we put over Libya.

[PIF]

Arabs can easily transiton to democracy... Arab muslims cannot.

[chuckee]

The Arab states, with the exception of the few wealthy oil gulf states, were economic losers before their revolutions and they will be economic losers after their revolutions. It makes no difference what system of government they have, dictatorship, democracy, socialist communist, sharia, or plutocracy. The problem is not the system of government. The problem is the culture.The US should not spend one dime of economic assistance. If they want aid, let them apply to their brethren the Saudis for money.

[353FMG]

>Arab Transition To Democracy No Simple Task<

.
Abandon Koranic teachings and the transition will be much easier for you guys.

[353FMG]

>The thinking is that Arabs can be domesticated and civilized.<

.
Please folks don’t equate Arab and Islam. The Iraqi and Egyptian Christians that have been murdered by muslims are also Arabs.

[elcid1970]

Must respectfully disagree. The Christians of Iraq and Egypt are not Arab. They by their very name are the descendants of the Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Copts (pharaonic Egyptian), those ancient peoples who refused to intermingle with their Arab Muslim conquerors and have maintained their separate Christian identities despite centuries of Islamic tyranny and oppression.

The Arabs of the entire region are descended from the desert savages whom Mohammed led out of Arabia in an orgy of conquest and extermination.

[kearnyirish2]

If democracy is to include legalized lowered expectations of certain races or genders, negative birth rates, “gay marriage”, and abortion, then I think it will be a hard sell anywhere.

For decades people around the world thought of us as the land of opportunity; for at least the last ten years the people we were attracting were of a different calibre than in the past. An increasing number of people could live just as well (if not better) than in their own countries; immigration from some European countries had slowed to a trickle. We still attract a lot of people, but mostly from much worse-off places than Europe.