"Democracy has made much of the world better, both in terms of economic freedoms and human rights."
It is precisely because of the forced imposition of so called "democracy" upon formerly Christian, monarchial Europe that we have had nothing but war and blood bath across the globe over the last century.
In regard to Africa, one would have to be living in an ivory tower to say that the "freed" colonies have ecomomic freedom and human rights. they have not known peace in nearly 50 years, due to so called "democracy"
Or shall we talk about that great bastion of democracy, with all of its blooming flowers of peace, justice, prosperity, and human rights......in South and Central America????????? With great help (overt and covert)their peoples were "freed" from the tyranny of monarchies, and repeatedly, brutally subjected to "democratice" leaders,. imposed by the US......complete with torture chambers for those who dissented from the great freedoms of "democracy".
Or we could speak of Iraq - where we are suprememly determined to impose "democracy" upon the people of that land - if we have to kill half of them to accomplish it!
How dare they have the effrontery to resist? Shame upon them for being so bold as to not accept our US style "democracy"........imposed with all the gentility of strappado!!!!!
To be a true American is to oppose monarchy and tyranny.
"forced imposition of democracy"??? Are you getting your talking points from International ANSWER? Democracy is precisely allowing the people of a nation to through elections determine their own government. It is not alwayss perfect, but I do think that over time, much bad is corrected by having a popular voice in government. Of course there also need to be agreed human rights protections for individuals against majority rule. As for South America, please name which democratic leaders were "imposed" by the United States and which have torture chambers? Pinochet was a dictator, but he was succeeded by a democratic regime, and it is not clear that the Communist Allende would have left Chile in a position to have a true democracy. And I suppose you think it is a pity that the Sandinistas were democratically ousted from office. And as for Iraq, there is no basis in fact to say that "half the country" has been killed. The groundwork is being laid for democratic elections in January. It is too early to say whether or not the liberation of Iraq will be successful, but the signs are promising.