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To: Mr170IQ
More terminology games. The short answer is that "democracy" as a political force has a completely different meaning from "democracy" as a precise form of government.

We aren't foisting any political system on anyone, nor have we in the past, or at least not one with any resemblance to our own. The governments of Germany and Japan, both instituted by force, differ from one another as much as they differ from ours. Neither particularly resembles the nascent one of Iraq as near as we can tell at this point.

What is being forced is the notion that the common people have a voice in the form of their own government and especially in its behavior. This last may be by direct vote - possible only in relatively small polises, or by indirect vote, a representative government. What is significant is the ongoing nature of this control of government, however imperfect. One does not simply throw the matter into the hands of "experts," the rich, the pious, or the well-born, and let them carry on from there. One does place it in the hands of the unwashed, much to the horror of the other four groups. Too bad.

39 posted on 02/23/2005 1:56:05 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: All

Double post. Mea culpa.


40 posted on 02/23/2005 1:56:43 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: Billthedrill
One does not simply throw the matter into the hands of "experts," the rich, the pious, or the well-born, and let them carry on from there. One does place it in the hands of the unwashed, much to the horror of the other four groups. Too bad.

If you don't think our democracy or any democracy for that matter is run by an elite managerial class, then you've got a serious case of eyes wide shut.

41 posted on 02/23/2005 9:36:50 PM PST by TradicalRC (I'd rather live in a Christian theocracy than a secular democracy.)
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