Mr.T, I like your debating tactics, but this time they are simply avoiding the obvious.

I think you are missing the point.

The man you debated is making an excellent point, the same point Jefferson made at the founding of our country. The franchise should be open to all only when all are "educated". Without education your society is not capable of ruling itself.

An uneducated democracy is not free. It is a slave to its ignorance. People who don't know the laws, who don't understand Western concepts, who are having a foreign way of life forced upon them are not free. Maybe this is an exaggeration in your eyes, after all Hussein was a horrible man, but at least an educated one who could keep the populace under control.

Even if means gassing them.

jk compassionate conservative.

But do you see the point? look how unstable the government of Iraq is. Democracy simply can't work in a country which has had authoritarian rule for centuries and did not ask for the change. Revolution comes from within. Iraqis won't be free until they choose to be free. When they are educated in the ways of a democractic society. Right now, there is not unity, there is the same faction quarreling and the death toll continues to rise. A YEAR AFTER BUSH DECLARED THE WAR OVER.

I quote again.

Democracy sounds great, and it is an excellent form of government, but when the country isn't ready for it, and it doesn't have the proper checks and balances, protection of minorities, etc. then it will fail miserably. [Right on!}



What makes you think Iraq isn't ready for democracy and does not have the proper checks and balances/protection of minorities? What makes you think a failing democracy is even worse than a brutal dictatorship

Well, The death toll for one. Once we leave, they'll be just putting back another dictaotr when they are fed up with democracy. It's hapened before. They didn't ask for our concpet of government and I don't think they are ready for it.
as for minorites, what about the Sunni minority? They are diensfranchised ater Saddam's fall. I think its the Sunni's who are minority and the Shiite who are majority party now. That's a big problem, which you are not culturally attuned to.