Failure of ‘Pro-Democracy’ Wars

[marmar]

from Consortium News:



Failure of ‘Pro-Democracy’ Wars
February 14, 2012

A key justification for three recent U.S. military actions – in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya – was to oust brutal dictators and pave the way for a more democratic future. But these violent strategies have fallen short on the pro-democracy front, writes the Independent Institute’s Ivan Eland.

By Ivan Eland


Despite George W. Bush’s and Barack Obama’s efforts to topple foreign dictators and use military power to forcefully impose democracy from without, democracy usually works better if it bubbles up from below by popular desire.

In Iraq, even before U.S. forces had withdrawn, Shi’ite President Nouri al-Maliki was taking the country back toward dictatorship. Now that American forces are gone, with attempts to arrest the Sunni vice president and the detention of other prominent Sunnis, Maliki is accelerating the process.

Meanwhile, the radical Sunni group al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia is stepping up attacks on Shi’ites, hoping to re-ignite the sectarian civil war of 2006 and 2007. With Iraq’s long history of rival ethno-sectarian groups in conflict, Sunni dictators, and no culture of political compromise needed for democracy, the prospects for an imposed democracy taking root were never great.

In Afghanistan, the situation is even worse, because opposition to the U.S.-installed government — by the Taliban — is even stronger, and that government is seen by most Afghans as corrupt and ineffective. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2012/02/14/failure-of-pro-democracy-wars/

[xchrom]

1. we're really not very good at the whole 'pro-democracy' thing.

but it does generate a lot of cash flow.

[MisterP]

2. Vietnam and Iran-Contra were also done in the name of defending democracy against totalitarianism

[bemildred]

3. Maybe we should work on having more democracy at home first. nt