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Does Democracy End Tyranny? By Natan Sharansky

 
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cyrus
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 2:28 pm    Post subject: Does Democracy End Tyranny? By Natan Sharansky Reply with quote

Does Democracy End Tyranny?

March 05, 2006
Los Angeles Times
Natan Sharansky

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-op-sharansky5mar05,0,7408348.story?coll=la-sunday-commentary

The U.S. agenda to promote democracy in the Middle East appears fatally wounded. The results of recent elections in Iraq, Egypt and especially Gaza and the West Bank have led many to conclude that this agenda is terribly misguided: wonderful in theory but disastrous in practice, enabling the most dangerous and antidemocratic elements in the region to gain power through democratic means.

If true, this is certainly a worrisome turn of events. Can the skeptics be right? Is it simply too dangerous to promote freedom in the Arab world? Must the United States give up on promoting democracy and go back to supporting authoritarian governments that do its bidding?

That was the old policy. But foreign policy "realism" — the notion that the free world could buy security by supporting repressive dictators who would act in American national interests — collapsed on 9/11. That was when it became clear to many policymakers that regimes that repressed their subjects were creating breeding grounds of fanaticism and terror.

Today, many people believe that the antidote to fanaticism is to open these societies to dissent, to the free exchange of ideas, to the opportunities offered by a free market and to the hope that comes with democratic life.

Based on this diagnosis, President Bush launched a bold policy that promised to give democracy a central place in American statecraft. In terms of rhetoric, the change was indeed dramatic. In his second inaugural address, Bush promised to support democratic movements everywhere with the goal of "ending tyranny" in our world. By declaring terrorists to be our enemies and democrats to be our partners, Bush injected an indispensable dose of moral clarity into U.S. policy.

But, despite what I believe to be the president's genuine commitment to promote sweeping change, the policy shift hasn't matched the rhetoric, with one glaring exception: an intense focus on holding elections everywhere as quickly as possible. This has been a mistake because, although elections are part of the democratic process, they are never a substitute for it.

I believed this when I submitted a plan to Ariel Sharon in April 2002 for a political process that would culminate in the creation of a peaceful, democratic Palestinian state alongside Israel. At the time, no one was thinking seriously about peace because, after the worst month of terror attacks in Israel's history, we had launched a large-scale military operation to root out the infrastructure of terrorism in the West Bank.

I believed, however, that the crisis presented an opportunity to begin a different kind of political process, one that would link the peace process to the development of a free society for Palestinians. I had argued for many years that peace and security could be achieved only by linking international legitimacy, territorial concessions and financial assistance for a new Palestinian regime to its commitment to building a free society.

Despite my faith in "democracy," I was under no illusion that elections should be held immediately. Over the previous decade, Palestinian society had become one of the most poisoned and fanatical on Earth. Day after day, on television and radio, in newspapers and schools, a generation of Palestinians had been subjected to the most vicious incitement by their own leaders. The only "right" that seemed to be upheld within Palestinian areas was the right of everyone to bear arms.

In such conditions of fear, intimidation and indoctrination, holding snap elections would have been an act of the utmost irresponsibility. That is why I proposed a plan calling for elections to be held no earlier than three years after the implementation of a series of democratic reforms. Three years, I believed, was the absolute minimum for democratic reforms to begin to change the atmosphere in which free elections could be held. Unfortunately, the plan was never implemented.

The recent election of Hamas is the fruit of a policy that focused on the form of democracy (elections) rather than its substance (building and protecting a free society). Rather than push for quick elections, the democratic world must use its considerable moral, political and economic leverage to help build free societies in the Middle East. We should tie trade privileges to economic freedoms, encourage foreign diplomats to meet openly with dissidents and link aid to the protection of dissents (as Bush did when he helped force the release of Egyptian democracy advocate Saad Eddin Ibrahim).

Any regime, elected or not, that works to build a free society should be seen as a partner, if not a friend. Likewise, any regime, elected or not, that chokes freedom should be seen as an adversary, if not an enemy. Obviously, any regime that supports terrorism is hostile to the most fundamental principles of a free society and should therefore be treated as an enemy.

Helping democracy take root in the Arab world will take time and persistence. Most Arab governments will try to stamp out any spark of liberty. But the democrats within these societies are our partners. We can help them by refusing to support those who repress them, and by making clear through both our statements and our policies that the efforts to expand freedom within their societies will benefit their countries as much as ours. The alternative is to return to the pre-9/11 delusion that a tyrant's repression of his own subjects has no consequences for us.




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Natan Sharansky, a distinguished fellow at the Shalem Center in Israel, is a former Soviet dissident who spent nine years in a KGB prison. Later, he served as a member of the Israeli government.
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cyrus
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Natan Sharansky has correct view regarding free society and election.
The main reason that the Israelis and Free World have not achieved peace between Palestinian and Israelis are focusing on this issue alone separate from Iran Islamist Tyranny. As long as Iran is not Free from Islamists control the world will not see peace.
Second problem the Islamists like Hamas that don’t believe in principle of free society and secular democracy should not be allowed to become candidates, how can we allow people or groups that don’t believe in democracy to take over a government?
Why should US allow Islamist to be elected in Iraq when we don’t have Free election in Iran?
Why US did not push for regime change and democracy in Iran that has been ready for regime change for many years ?

Why US allows free election in Palestinian and Iraq before there is free election in Iran?

Why …?

The G8 helped to create Islamist regime to fight Soviet Union and now the G8 must help to destroy Islamist regime in Iran as top priority.

How Should US correct their mistakes?
Main Steps For Regime Change:
Step 1. Regime Change by Iranian people and possible military Uprising or with support from US for the destruction of small Islamist forces faithful to Mullahs that they have taken 70 million Iranian people as their hostage.
Step 2: Transitional Popular Coalition Government to manage the country administration based on one of the free world countries secular democracy laws which guarantees all aspects of FREE Society and Free Political Parties to prepare the country for final FREE Referendum to choose the system of government and secular democracy. How long the transition will take? May be 2 to 4 Years.. ?( in Germany took 5 years after WWII)
For this period US and international supervision with possible military presence of US, and other FREE World countries that did not have dirty deals with Mullahs in Iran (past 27 years) as the peacekeeper is necessary as a guarantor for TRUE Free Society in Iran and no one abuse transitional power ( ActivistChat PETITION: TRUE SECURITY BEGINS WITH REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN ) .
Step 3: Free Referendum to choose one of the well tested constitutions of Free World Countries (Sweden, United States, Norway …) or writing a new constitution from scratch?
Step 4: Choosing Head Of State (King Or President) and members of Iranian parliaments.


Last edited by cyrus on Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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alimostofi



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PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:39 pm    Post subject: How democracy can go wrong Reply with quote

Cyrus:

Thanks for the article.

One of the main reasons that democracy failed in the case of Hamas, was that the Palestinians do not believe in a secular government. Their dogma forces them to have an uncomprimising attitude.

The other reason that democracy can fail, comes from having capital punishment. In this instance not only do the Islamists fail, but so do an number of other western governments.
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cyrus
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:39 pm    Post subject: Re: How democracy can go wrong Reply with quote

alimostofi wrote:
Cyrus:

Thanks for the article.

One of the main reasons that democracy failed in the case of Hamas, was that the Palestinians do not believe in a secular government. Their dogma forces them to have an uncomprimising attitude.

The other reason that democracy can fail, comes from having capital punishment. In this instance not only do the Islamists fail, but so do an number of other western governments.


Dear Ali,
What you say is true, however the Free World should not give financial help to groups that don't believe in Free Society and Secular Democracy.
I think the Free World should increase financial help for educating people regarding Free Society, Secular Democracy and reward governments that are moving in the right direction. Having election in a country does not mean we have democracy in that country.
Regards,
Cyrus
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alimostofi



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PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 6:59 pm    Post subject: Re: How democracy can go wrong Reply with quote

cyrus wrote:
alimostofi wrote:
Cyrus:

Thanks for the article.

One of the main reasons that democracy failed in the case of Hamas, was that the Palestinians do not believe in a secular government. Their dogma forces them to have an uncomprimising attitude.

The other reason that democracy can fail, comes from having capital punishment. In this instance not only do the Islamists fail, but so do an number of other western governments.


Dear Ali,
What you say is true, however the Free World should not give financial help to groups that don't believe in Free Society and Secular Democracy.
I think the Free World should increase financial help for educating people regarding Free Society, Secular Democracy and reward governments that are moving in the right direction. Having election in a country does not mean we have democracy in that country.
Regards,
Cyrus


That is why EU has decided to not give money to Palestinians, and now they are in Russia, whilst the akhoonds have given them a blank cheque.
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Morning Light



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PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you for the article, Sharansky is right as usual.

I was worried by his silence throughout January and Febuary that he had just given up on everything.

I'm glad I was wrong to think that he had given up on the good fight, his book "The Case for Democracy" is a must read for anyone who is against the IRI Regime.

Also here is the good way to see who is right.

If the Palestinians put down their guns tommorow they would have a state

If the Israelis put their guns down tommorow they would be dead

I also have an open question to anyone who thinks that the IRI Nuclear Demands is worth anything.

Would you be so eager to allow them to have Nuclear Weapons if it was your daughter getting executed for having sex (Since the Nuclear Weapons would especially help terrify Iranians prolonging the IRI Regime)?
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Morning Light

As I said, if the mullahs get up and say that they will not bomb Israel, then they would be regarded in the same light as India and Pakistan. But they have an agenda to make WWIII, and get the world ready for their 12th Imam.
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