Infinite MonkeysI've long been among the quite-possibly foolish who believe that an Arab/Muslim society would freely choose peace and democracy. And I've tried to hold that faith despite my careful readings of VDH and Steyn. My misgivings, though, keep strengthening — with the chaos in "Palestine" and Iraq as the picked scabs. Jonah Goldberg puts it well at the end of his latest column:
For many disciples of the "international peace process," it's a matter of faith that the Palestinians just have to want peace, because how else can you have a peace process? For many supporters of the Bush Doctrine, Iraqis have to want democracy, because if they don't, what's the point of having a freedom agenda? But what if these are just beloved Western fictions? We see a well-lighted path to the good life: democracy, tolerance, rule of law, markets. But what if the Arab world just isn't interested in our path? As a believer in the freedom agenda, that's what scares me most.
If freedom and democracy is merely a Western fiction — with the Israeli/Arab citizen, freedom-enjoying-doctorate-degree-earning exception notwithstanding — we are in for a long war. Or a more intense one along the lines of Ann Coulter: Invade their countries and convert them ... if not to Christianity, to Western values.
Posted by Dr. Zaius at June 21, 2007 02:54 AMThis is a consideration that should have happened BEFORE the US decided to start killling people and sacrificing its children to an unwinnable war.
OF COURSE it is delusional to imagine that countries that never went through the Enlightenment would embrace Western values at gunpoint. Why Bush, the neo-cons, and others ever thought otherwise is mystifying to me.
When the British tried to export democracy, they committed far more resources, and for decades. Even so, their failure rate was remarkably high, and eventually their empire crumbled. We certainly should not expect that a half-hearted commitment of far less time would magically produce democracy, peace, or freedom.
For that matter, it doesn't appear that most AMERICANS value democracy, peace, and freedom over comfort and perceived security. Hard to expect more of the countries we invade than we expect of ourselves.
Posted by: Monkey RobbL at June 21, 2007 10:07 AMThe Brits' failure rate was "remarkably high"? That's a loose definition of failure for one of the most benevolent empires in world history. India is an economic giant thanks to the Brits — which counts for quite a lot. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, their Caribbean possessions, every African country they occupied (until the "world community" demanded they leave it to the natives) was a freer, better place (by far) than what came before and (sadly) since.
Oh. And that imperial experiment in America worked out OK for the world, as well.
Other than that, can't disagree with your post. If America was really an imperial power, it might have a chance.
Posted by: Dr. Zaius at June 21, 2007 10:17 AM