Has the idea of "Exporting Democracy" to the Middle East been proven a failure, or was it just run poorly?

Question

The polls suggest that 85% of Americans think that Iraq is a failure, and yet the neoconservatives seem convinced that the job can still be done. Also that the only thing going wrong is that some people hate Bush more than they hate terrorists. Bonus points if you address the points (either for or against) made by the neoconservatives in the following link.

http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.25092/pub_detail.asp

Note: I love the concept of spreading democracy (since democracies don't make war on each other!) - so although I am currently with the 85% group, I am also quite open to all arguments. But answers like "scum like you will never understand" (paraphrasing there) aren't going to convince me. Please humor me and at least PRETEND that I'm open-minded, unlike the rigid idealogues that you find so often on the web.

Answer 1

I don't respond to any of these questions for points, so I don't care about that, but your question is one that has some intelligence in comparison to most I see on this board, and it is of concern to the American public who is paying for this debacle at and estimated 100 billion dollars.

The Bush administration was correct in toppling Saddam, but that is where they should have left it. At the time there was little going on in Iraq other than the usual Sectarian violence that has gone on there for more than 2000 years.

We would have been smart to have lent a hand to the United Nations and provide some funding where we could but pulled out after the dust settled.

Our main concern has been Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and ridding their country of that terrorist regime and hunting Osama Bin Laden. The focus on this really got dropped.

The argument that we either fight them there or here is moot. A terrorist with the right training can strike anywhere.
There was no weapons of mass destruction as the commission report findings state, and we literally decided to push democracy down a countries throat that did not ask for it. Let them continue with their third world mentality and fight over religious governing parties as we depart. Enough of our fine service personnel have been killed and wounded for that despicable desert.

This mess has been going on since 2001, with no end in site. A new direction is needed. I won't say that the Democrats will solve it but new insight cannot hurt. Being and Independent I don't like either party, they waste too much time bashing each other and not enough time getting the job done.

Answer 2

I'm not sure exporting Democracy to the Middle East could be done by anyone, at least not easily. Additionally, their beliefs and culture is so misunderstood by those outside of the Middle East that anyone trying to go in there and make a change would have a high likelihood of failure, no matter how good the campaign was run. The job in Iraq has definitely not been the best run, from an outsider perspective, and the government needs to be more transparent with regard to the policy on the ground and our strategies. Unfortunately, as some on the link state, the Democrats haven't provided a better strategy, because no one can dispute the fact that if we leave without assisting to bring stability there will be many years of chaos and trouble in the area, and the U.S. will most likely be looked at as monster cowards. The average American doesn't know what's really going on.

Answer 3

I agree with Orenstein, he has the right idea. Other than that its just the usual cry to run and hide the children, the liberals are coming with Osama in tow.
There has been a perfectly fine democracy in the Middle East for half a century, it has hospitals and schools and has made the desert bloom. It has scholars and doctors and an excellent standard of living for the area. Its called Israel.
Its very strange that such a strong anti-Jewish feeling gets exhibited, since in my book the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
I haven't forgetten that Israel took scuds when we invaded Kuwait. Or that they had the chutzpah to bomb Irans nuclear plant all those years ago. With all that in front of them, the Arabs still want dictators and mullahs for rulers, so, if thats what they want, on a cultural basis, how do you change that by attacking them?

Answer 4

Iraq is a failure because the US is only interested in installing democracies which in turn support the US.

Rightly or wrongly, the current Government in Iraq is viewed by much of the population as a puppet regime of the USA.

This is one of the reasons why there is much unrest in the country.

After the fall of Saddam the people expected the USA to pull out, and are sadly now becoming more resentful of the "occupying army".

That is why the cheers and laughter have turned to hatred and bombs.

I am not advocating a US withdrawal, merely trying to explain how the current situation arose.

Answer 5

Isn't exporting democracy just another way of forcing our will on others . Democracy is something a people have to want . Our form of democracy is very different then it was 100 years ago. It's ever evolving , and it needs to continue evolving .

Answer 6

This was never about "exporting democracy". This war was about profits for big corporations and our President used our soldiers as pawns.

Answer 7

Both-- and if we're trying to export democracy then what about Iran, Saudi, UAE, Kuait, etc. etc. There are quite a few non-democracies in the middle east. Its just another load of crap that we were given to justify invading Iraq.

Its not up to us to shove democracy down their throats.

Answer 8

If you don't like democracy we are going to come to your country and bomb you until you realize that you have a choice in how your country is run.

No one likes having something forced upon them even if it is a good thing.

Answer 9

85 % of america has fallen into the liberal agenda trap. this always happens in a republic. Here we come dictatorship. Im so excited. thanks dems and if you really believe polls your part of the so called 85 %. which I could already tell from the question so this point is mute

edit okay you want real good?

Truth! But his figure is low!
According to a UNICEF report at the end of 2003, more than 3 1/2 million children had been immunized.

School Attendance is up 80%-Truth!
Again, according to an April, 2004 report from UNICEF, school attendance in Iraq increased by 60 percent shortly after the war to more than 95 percent during the recent national exam week.

More than 1,500 schools renovated-Truth!
UNICEF says that as of April, 2004, more than 2,500 schools have been renovated with the goal of 4,000 being completed by the end of the year, but 10,000 more need repair.

The Port of Uhm Qasar [sic] renovated so grain can be offloaded faster-Truth!
In a November, 2003 interview on National Public Radio, Andrew Natsios of the U.S. Agency for International Development said that the port at Umm Qasar, Iraq's largest, is modern and functioning for the first time in 20 years.

All of the hospitals operating-Truth!
Because of disrepair and looting, it took a lot of work to get hospitals back up to speed but according to James Haverman, the Coalition Provisional Authority Senior Advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Health, all 240 hospitals in Iraq as well as 2400 primary health care clinics were operating as of December, 2003.

An interim constitution has been signed-Truth!
On March 8, 2004, an interim constitution that defines Iraq as being "federal, democratic and pluralist" was signed by members of the Iraqi Governing Council.

Girls are allowed to attend school-Truth! But Misleading!
A quick read of Sgt. Reynolds' report would leave the impression that Iraqi girls are able to attend school for the first time because of the invasion.
According to Human Rights Watch, Iraqi girls and women have enjoyed comparatively more rights than in some of the other countries of the Middle East.
The Iraqi Constitution of 1970 included women's rights for voting, attending school, owning property, and running for office.
Still, the status of women in Iraq has not always been the best because of other cultural and economic factors such as the aftermath of the 1991 war and economic sanctions.
School attendance for girls has not been prohibited although more boys than girls have been enrolled, especially in rural areas.

Students are taught field sanitation and hand washing techniques to prevent the spread of germs-Truth!
Not only are U.S. soldiers demonstrating field sanitation and hand washing, but UNICEF is conducting an active health education program to improve personal hygiene and promote more hand washing.

Textbooks that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the first time in 30 years-Truth!
According to published reports, a team of U.S. appointed Iraqi educators combed through more than 500 Iraqi textbooks and removed every mention of Saddam Hussein and the Baath
party including pictures.
The texts will probably be revised by the Iraqis at some point in the future, but the pre-war texts were dominated with Saddam Hussein.

these are just few things that make it not a "proven failure"

Answer 10

relating to the first person (is he the one you call neocon?)

I find it incredible that N.Pelosi could say with a straight face she is willing to work with the republicans,now.