NYP: BREEDING TERROR -- Democracy can be dangerous (Thanks, but I'll take political freedom.)

New York Post ^ | December 22, 2004 | ALBERTO ABADIE

[OESY]

Since 9/11, much of the political and media debate on terrorism-prevention policies has focused on the notion that poverty creates terrorism.

The presumption of a strong link between poverty and terrorism wasn't totally unjustified. After all, economists and political scientists have documented a consistent link between adverse economic shocks and the outbreak of civil war. And since terrorism is another manifestation of political conflict, many reasoned that poverty and adverse economic conditions could help to explain terrorism's rise....

It turns out, that all things equal, there was no evidence that poor countries generate more terrorism.

Then, last year, the World Markets Research Center, a leading provider of economic-intelligence data, released a report evaluating the level of terrorist risk for 186 countries and territories throughout the world. The report included the Global Terrorism Index, which summarized five factors — motivation, presence, scale, efficacy and prevention of terrorism — for each of the countries....

So what could explain this peculiar relationship between terrorism and political freedom?

First, autocratic regimes tend to use repressive practices to eliminate political dissent, which also helps keep terrorism in check. In addition, intermediate levels of political freedom are often experienced during political transitions. It is when governments are weak that conditions are favorable for the appearance of terrorism. This is consistent with the observed increase in terrorism in countries transitioning from an authoritarian regime to a democracy, like currently in Iraq, and previously in Russia and Spain.

It's worth noting that these studies refer to general empirical regularities; they do not apply to every terrorist conflict in the world. What this research does forewarn is that democratization may be accompanied by temporary increases in terrorism....

Like autocracy, a little bit of democracy can be a dangerous thing.

[OESY]

Alberto Abadie is associate professor of public policy at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

[xcamel]

Duh, that is why there has never been a successful pure democracy. History first, Editorial later.

Thats why we're a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC, not a democracy, and we continue to pump out college educated blithering dolts.

[Phantom Lord]

After all, economists and political scientists have documented a consistent link between adverse economic shocks and the outbreak of civil war.

I went to government school so maybe they failed to teach me about Civil War II that ravaged America in the 1930s.

[Valin]

BUMP

[t_skoz]

"we're a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC, not a democracy, and we continue to pump out college educated blithering dolts"


BTTT!!!!!!

[Petronski]

Odd title.

I know the author is claiming "[We might be] BREEDING TERROR" but I first read it in the sense of "the TERROR of BREEDING."

[OESY]

Probably depends on who's doing the breeding.