Does democracy the way it is defined really suit every nation and culture?

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not against democracy. I just see it not working in it's present form when introduced in several Nations. Perhaps, there is need to examine the fact that Nations have different cultures and ways of life which make it difficult for the kind of democracy many seek to practice to actually work.

I attended a conference recently and we struggled to find any Nation which has recently embraced democracy with positive impacts on the lives of the ordinary people.

My belief is that America and the west should stop rushing Nations into their own form of democracy, especially when the proper grounds have not been laid for such a form of government. Cultures differ, so do beliefs and practices.

Does democracy in it's present form as drummed into our brains really make life better for EVERY nation?

Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others that have been tried. Churchill

Seun:

Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others that have been tried. Churchill

Tell me any nation outside of Europe and America which has enjoyed economic prosperity as a result of the present form of democracy?

The issue is with it's present form where America seems to want to force you to practice democracy as it dictates. Democracy, in it's pure form, is without doubt the best form of Government to be desired. However, the present way in which America bullies nations to practice democracy according to it's dictates STINKS!

Where is the [b]better [/b]alternative? Where is the country that is thriving under dictatorship and military rule?

I don't think Dictatorship is the only other alternative left if one refuses AMERICAN version of Democracy. 
There are several rich, stable nations not practicing George Bush' version of democracy

Democracy my ass . Some people lie to us we Vote them and they do what they want.
What say do the people really have.

Seun:

Where is the [b]better [/b]alternative? Where is the country that is thriving under dictatorship and military rule?

China

IBEXY:

I don't think Dictatorship is the only other alternative left if one refuses AMERICAN version of Democracy.
There are several rich, stable nations not practicing George Bush' version of democracy

God bless you

And china is really comming up.
In Germany a lot of industries are having their products made in china.
Even our recycling bags "dustbin bags are made there now.

no be everybody be democrat. fela talk say na democrazy. na true im talk.

Na George Bush dey try export DEMONSTRATION OF CRAZE!

Don't worry. When this tool becomes popular. We will start to see the real China. Not the one the heavily censored Chinese media presents.

China is a very very terrible place to live. They don't have any freedom. People are jailed, tortured, executed for doing things we take for granted in Nigeria. Their apparent economic boom is due to a slight relaxation of the terrible restrictions the communists placed upon their economy. They are merely recovering from a self-imposed depression.

Seun,

Yet, isn't the problem in Nigeria, the fact that not enough people are jailed, executed and tortured?

In the old west they had freedom alright but it meant that you better know how to shoot a gun.

Democracy is a blessing we got from the Greeks- government of the people by the people!Look at Finland, Belgium, Norway, Spain they are all democratic states. There's a direct relationship between democracy, stability and growth!
We have not had democracy at all in Africa, perhaps with the exception of Botswana, and S/A.That is why their economic indices are much better than that of the continent's noise maker-Nigeria.
Driving my point further, until a people vote in a government and are able to call the government to resign in the face of gross non-performance, then they are in a democracy. When a government is sensitive to the needs and yearnings of her people, values their collective dignity,positions its youth for the future, can guarantee sustenance of her citizens then we have a true democracy.
Where in the world has Dubya, Condi and Rummy promoted democracy!They were fanning embers of revolt in Havana on some unconfirmed reports of Fidel's demise.A government that supports covert activities aimed at undermining regimes in Bolivia, Venezuela, Equador!It's all some hogwash.The same nation is responsible for the mess in most developing countries in the world- financed coups in Latin America,supported despots in Africa.
Democracy is universally beneficial and America though the global policeman isn't the most free with it's noise about freedom ,civil rights etc.
We must be able to provide for our people protect them and guarantee the futures of those yet unborn. That is why Evo and Hugo can thumb their noses at GW.Power to the people!

Democracy has nothing to do with economic prosperity.

China already proves this, Democracy is a form of governance NOT an economic model. The Communist government of China is doing pretty fucking well being communist.

Iraq democratically elected the current PM and look at how fantabolous Iraq is right now.

shango:

Democracy has nothing to do with economic prosperity.

China already proves this, Democracy is a form of governance NOT an economic model. The Communist government of China is doing pretty fucking well being communist.

China hasn't proved anything yet. The only thing it's proved is that you have to be on good terms with West for your economy to grow. When China achieves economic prosperity it will have to be democratic. More developed economy => more educated citizens => more people having access to outside world => more citizens requiring greater freedoms. This is the reason why you currently cannot even view any web pages with the word 'democracy' from inside China. The government are not stupid. They know that to hang on to power they have to restrict as much knowlegde from the population as possible.
It's inevitable that China will have to switch to be a democracy. This process has already begun.

It's on record that protests in China over lack of human rights which you hardly hear about because of government censorship is increasing exponentially every year.

There is a lot of hoopla about China's human rights record but no one ever gets to hear about the human rights records of regimes such as those in Equitorial guinea and Nigeria. Well' those 2 countries have oil and give very easy access to American corporations to explore/exploit.

Have you visited the web sites of human right campaigners? You hear about China more because it is a much larger country and has more infleunce internationally.

For example, this just out. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061128/ap_on_re_af/nigeria_rape

Democracy is not universally beneficial and it is as simple as that because as country names are different so are their cultures, religions, and system of governance befitting them, you can't impose a strange system of government you choosed to call "DEMOCRACY" and tell a group of persons that is what they should adopt in governing themself because you see it as the best,

Iraq is the simplest of examples to how universally unbeneficial the type of democracy been referred to in here is not designed for all and sundry, Sadam's style of "democracy"because that is what he would call it,was suiting to the people,culture and religion,


Its a simple as that,

Gaby,
Iraqis suffered under the authoritarian Bathist rule of Saddam!The problem in Iraq could have been avoided if Bush instesd if appointing a Viceroy for Iraq and gone on to put in place a national govern ment of Sunnis Shiites and Kurds!Then the crap they are faced now would not have been so!It's only a democracy that can give it's people the best lifestyles possible!
I challenge anyone to name a country where the rights of its citizens, their prosperity, hopes and aspirations are guaranteed in a non democratic system!

lewa:

I challenge anyone to name a country where the rights of its citizens, their prosperity, hopes and aspirations are guaranteed in a non democratic system!

Exactly!

Let the scratching of heads begin in an attempt to answer this question.

lewa:

Gaby,
Iraqis suffered under the authoritarian Bathist rule of Saddam!The problem in Iraq could have been avoided if Bush instesd if appointing a Viceroy for Iraq and gone on to put in place a national govern ment of Sunnis Shiites and Kurds!Then the crap they are faced now would not have been so!It's only a democracy that can give it's people the best lifestyles possible!
I challenge anyone to name a country where the rights of its citizens, their prosperity, hopes and aspirations are guaranteed in a non democratic system!

lewa,

Not even in the US or in UK are the rights, prosperity, hopes and aspirations of citizens guaranteed.

Ask the family members of the guy shot recently by the police in New York just before his wedding or ask the many Black Brits who have to be a thousand times better than their white counterparts before they are considered to be nearly at par.

Mariory:

Exactly!

Let the scratching of heads begin in an attempt to answer this question.

I was typing my response when you came with this.

Easyy:

lewa,

Not even in the US or in UK are the rights, prosperity, hopes and aspirations of citizens guaranteed.

Of course. However, as previously stated, it is the best form of government there is. Peharps in a perfect world, where we had perfect humans, free from corruption, greed, insanity, or other potentially dangerous human emotions, then idealogies like communisim can work. But you and I know better.

Mariory:

Of course. However, as previously stated, it is the best form of government there is. Peharps in a perfect world, where we had perfect humans, free from corruption, greed, insanity, or other potentially dangerous human emotions, then idealogies like communisim can work. But you and I know better.

I hope you dont mean that communism necessarily means non-democratic.

Democracy would seem to be the most ideal situation in the present world but I dont believe in democracy absolutely in US terms

lewa:

Gaby,
Iraqis suffered under the authoritarian Bathist rule of Saddam!The problem in Iraq could have been avoided if Bush instesd if appointing a Viceroy for Iraq and gone on to put in place a national govern ment of Sunnis Shiites and Kurds!Then the crap they are faced now would not have been so!It's only a democracy that can give it's people the best lifestyles possible!
I challenge anyone to name a country where the rights of its citizens, their prosperity, hopes and aspirations are guaranteed in a non democratic system!

Lewa,

Thanks a lot for your comment, What i am simply calling democracy here my friend is the American Form democracy which comes from their desire to impose their way of life or governance on any country whilst forgetting to remember that Democracy to different countries and cultures could be different from taking on the American version of it to the letter,

Ok the Iraqis suffered gravely under Saddam's Baatist party and what are these same people going through today?Can you in anyway relate it to what they went through during Saddam's Regime?I bet you the U.S could have avoided what is going on now if only they had allowed these folks practice their own version of Democracy as opposed to imposing one on them in an Amserican way,

I challenge anyone to name a country where the rights of its citizens, their prosperity, hopes and aspirations are guaranteed in a non democratic system!
[quote][/quote]


I challeng you to the quote above Lewa, countries such as U.K and U.S are guilty of some of the above too if not all even though it might be happening to a certain race or group of persons but still these are citizens of these same countries in a democratic setting,

And besides is Nigeria,Pakistan,Saudi Arabia, infact the (most of the middle eastern/arab/persian countries)are these not practicing democracies??


I'm sure going to modify my post later got to go now ,

Lest you be mistaken, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan do not practice democracy!I tend to agree with your point concerning the "missionary" role the UK and US have taken upon themselves.
Well for Nigeria-we are not totally democratic. Democracy is when people chose a government as i posted earlier to represent them.OBJ's government is a mockery of democracy!It's regime foisted upon Nigerians.
Syria, Oman,Quatar,Kuwait,Jordan,Yemen are definately not democracies.
Iraqi's never had a democracy!Saddam was an absolute ruler and i have made a point concerning the carnage in Iraq.
The US made a grave mistake with the culture of Iraqi's and they are still paying for it.Sheer arrogance on their part. Anyways that is a digrssion

Yet, isn't the problem in Nigeria, the fact that not enough people are jailed, executed and tortured?

If I was living in China, I would probably be in jail for allowing you to criticize the government.
Would you like to be executed for the beliefs you've expressed on this forum? That is China for you.
How can a government improve when people can be killed for simply criticizing it? We don't need such here.
The idea that someone who has the power to execute anybody will use the power altruistically is silly.

Easyy:

I hope you don't mean that communism necessarily means non-democratic.

That's exactly what I mean.

China already proves this, Democracy is a form of governance NOT an economic model. The Communist government of China is doing pretty fucking well being communist.

What matters is not how the government is doing but how the people are doing.
Paper prosperity means nothing when you are unhappy. When you have a mind but must not express it.
The people of China are in bondage. The shocking reality behind this "prosperity" will one day be revealed.

Mariory
Merci!