Anti-Imperialism 101 Re: Hitchens quits Nation

[Justin Schwartz]

>
>At one time, I believe, democracy -- _demokratia_ -- was
>supposed to mean power in the hands of the _demos_, the common
>people.  Thus, the word does not describe the present state
>of affairs in the United States or any other major state of
>which I am aware, so the question of whether the United States
>government ought to impose it on anyone must be preceded by
>the question of how it could possibly do so, since it does
>not possess it or intend it for itself or anyone else in the
>first place.  Indeed, one must doubt that the Brightest and
>Best have even given a passing thought as to how such a thing
>could be created.
>

Well, we have a democracy worth having, although it is exceedingly 
imperfect: what I (and most political theorists) call liberal 
democracy--universal suffrage, competitive (more or less) elections, 
extensive (if threatened) civil and political liberties. That's not to sneer 
at, since these advances were won by centuries of bloody struggle. But 
that's they key thing. We won these treasures by our own efforts. I think 
they are beyond price, but I don't think we can or should impose them on 
others, not because I think other ways of doing things (such as Sadam 
Hussein's) are just as good, far from it, but because that's not how one 
spreads democracy.

jks

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