Tuesday 17 June 2014

17/06/2014 A terrible choice

Many countries - clearly most middle east countries are made up of sectarian groupings, religious groupings  or tribes that in reality seem to hate each other - or at least has the potential to turn to division, intolerance and hate very easily.

For years many of these countries have been held together by cruel and brutal regimes using despotic power to supress people almost entirely in a self serving way. Megalomania fostered privilege for a few and misery and random death and torture for the many. Economic progress was invariably non existent, wealth was squandered and individual freedoms denied. Often these regimes were associated with regional tensions and international threat. Iraq and Saddam, Gaddafi and Libya, Assad in Syria - Mubarak and Egypt etc etc

However despite all of the above you could argue these countries had some sense of order. There was not civil war or if there was it was quickly and brutally suppressed in a very effective way.

But the West is different. We have a system of democracy. We have imbedded institutions that ensure our freedoms under the law. We have free speech and religious tolerance. Woman and men are equal under the law. Our leaders are held accountable for their actions. Generally we have a higher standard of living.

Wouldn't it be a better world if all nations lived under our democratic model?

Can the democratic model ever work in countries so divided with so much enmity. Maybe social media has raised expectation beyond what is possible and the West must learn it cannot/should not try to export its values in expectation everyone will eventually live happy ever after. Perhaps all that can be done is live with the reality and let them get on with it providing they do not attack us.

Right now I would imagine many Iraqi's or Syrians would wish they had what they had before.

A terrible choice for them.



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