[FairfieldLife] Re: 'Pope's speech on Faith and reason ( Theocracy Vs. Democr...

2006-09-20 Thread authfriend
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

  
 In a message dated 9/19/06 2:03:07 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
 [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
 
  
 And I have to disagree with the premise, that Islamic
countries are not ready for Democracy. I think any
   civilized  people are ready for it, but may need more
   time and help  depending on what their previous 
   experiences have been.
   
  May need more time and help = not ready
snip
 
 Needing more time or needing help doesn't mean a country isn't 
 ready for democracy.

Uh, well, yes, it does, by definition.  It would be
ready for democracy only if it *didn't* need more time
and help.

It's not an insult or a criticism to say Iraq isn't
ready for democracy, given what they've been through
and the disastrous mess the U.S. has made of the
occupation.

But Bush tries to portray it as an insult, or a lack
of faith in the Iraqis' innate ability to have a
democracy.  He even portrayed it as racism in that
passage I quoted.  He does this to try to intimidate
his critics, but it's a straw man.

No responsible politician or leader that I've heard
has ever suggested the Iraqis are *innately* incapable
of democracy.

 Democracy has not always come easily to those that enjoy it  now.

Right.  We in the U.S. weren't ready for it for quite
some time.







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[FairfieldLife] Re: 'Pope's speech on Faith and reason ( Theocracy Vs. Democr...

2006-09-20 Thread shempmcgurk
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
wrote:

 --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, MDixon6569@ wrote:
 
   
  In a message dated 9/19/06 2:03:07 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
  babajii_99@ writes:
  
   
  And I have to disagree with the premise, that Islamic
 countries are not ready for Democracy. I think any
civilized  people are ready for it, but may need more
time and help  depending on what their previous 
experiences have been.

   May need more time and help = not ready
 snip
  
  Needing more time or needing help doesn't mean a country isn't 
  ready for democracy.
 
 Uh, well, yes, it does, by definition.  It would be
 ready for democracy only if it *didn't* need more time
 and help.
 
 It's not an insult or a criticism to say Iraq isn't
 ready for democracy, given what they've been through
 and the disastrous mess the U.S. has made of the
 occupation.



The U.S. obviously wasn't ready for democracy, as evidenced by their 
civil war which took hundreds of thousands of lives.

Grow up, MDixon.  Judy's right.

And Judy's worldview should prevail: We should have two United 
States today: North U.S. where slavery is illegal and South U.S. 
where slavery and discrimination against Blacks is the law of the 
land.



 
 But Bush tries to portray it as an insult, or a lack
 of faith in the Iraqis' innate ability to have a
 democracy.  He even portrayed it as racism in that
 passage I quoted.  He does this to try to intimidate
 his critics, but it's a straw man.
 
 No responsible politician or leader that I've heard
 has ever suggested the Iraqis are *innately* incapable
 of democracy.
 
  Democracy has not always come easily to those that enjoy it  now.
 
 Right.  We in the U.S. weren't ready for it for quite
 some time.







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[FairfieldLife] Re: 'Pope's speech on Faith and reason ( Theocracy Vs. Democr...

2006-09-20 Thread bob_brigante
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2006/09/20/pope_islam/






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