Democracy the Ultimate?

I moved to Canada over 4-1/2 yrs ago for love (got that one behind me, anyway! LOL), and have since watched the events in the States, in horror, from the sidelines. I'm opening with a short poem a wrote a while back:

"The Little Chicken"

"The sky is falling!" Little Chicken said,
As he brought the heavens down upon his head.
"This great evil we must defeat!"
As he marched to the devil's beat.
"Democracy we must defend!"
As he schemed to bring it's end.
"We must export democracy!"
...Now there's none left, at home, for me...

May 9, 2003

How many "Democracies" were there in the world, pre-1776? Exactly. Zero. The founding fathers had terrific ideas; some (though certainly not all), new. I imagine a large part of the world at that time thought we were crazy (France, not included, of course ;) ).

Further, there are many ways of implementing Democracy, the vast majority of which haven't been tried by the USA. Direct election of the President is just one example, an issue of increased importance to me after my time here, where the citizenry has even less direct voice in the choosing of their 'fearless leader' (Hey, Canada didn't do that great a job this around, either!).

There is NO evidence, scientific or otherwise, suggesting that Democracy is the ultimate form of government. Who's to dispute that, left to their own devices, Iraqis (and Afghans, Syrians, Iranians, etc) might not completely leapfrog our form of government with one offering even more 'freedom and justice' than does Democracy (or other rights and/or benefits man hasn't even dreamed of to date)?

I have no desire whatsoever to see the US turn (further) away from Democracy; however, who are we to say that it's the best form of government for other, sovereign nations???

While I certainly don't expect most current Middle Eastern regimes to move in this direction (Saudia Arabia repealing their drug laws? Right. In a country where alcoholism is still a crime, one where the LUCKY FEW get released - and immediately deported, if they aren't Saudi...), that isn't the point. A "Democracy" imposed upon a population by an external, Occupying Power, is, BY DEFINITION, not a 'Democracy' AT ALL. It's just the opposite !!!

Just like the Colonists, each people have to find their own way; a way which is compatible with their own culture and traditions (two things W specializes in knowing NOTHING about), and which doesn't cause such a disconnect from the past that they lose sight of their own heritage, values, etc. - just as Americans wanted separation of church and state, yet from the get-go most have considered the US a "Christian nation." ("E Pluribus Unum" and all that).

The US does NOT have a monopoly on acceptable forms of government. IMO, the US does NOT have an acceptable form of government, ITSELF, RIGHT NOW.

Sideline: The "E Pluribus Unum" comment jogged something. I keep a bit of US coinage, mainly for the hell of it (plus, the US Nickle is a perfect instrument for calibration! ;) ). I looked on one just to be sure I'd spelled it properly (perfectionist here), and it hit me: in a nation which is, for the most part, bizarrely anti-bilingual, one of the phrases most commonly associated with the US is printed/stamped on its paper money and coinage in two languages!!! Surely there's justice somewhere in this world...