Does America have the right to ensure every other country has democracy?

Question

I'm watching the Today show this morning showing footage of Fidel Castro doing better and then showing Condoleeza stating that the Cuban people have the right to freedom and to a country of democracy (paraphrased). While I may personally agree with her statements, what role should the US play in this. It seems that the US always wants to ensure other countries govern as the US deems fit.

In all honesty, while the US claims to be a democracy, it really isn't, but yet and still we want to press our government on every country and state what is "best for the people". While I know there is a certain necessity to do this to ensure the safety of our country, we go overboard in my opinion.

Like my mama used to say, don't try to clean anyone else's kitchen until you know yours is clean.

Answer 1

We shouldn't try to force democracy on others. I've always wondered why we even tried. I hear people say, "shouldn't we go help others?" but if no one's asking for help, then no. Granted, the nation's people may want help and the government could be stifling them, but why get involved? I hate to sound harsh, but there is so much wrong in our country that needs to be fixed, especially the thought that we are a true democracy. It's not like our gov't is really trying to help anyway. If they want to help, they need to fix the violence in Darfur. They need to stop the increasing, horrible violence occuring all throughout Africa. They need to help 3rd World Countries become alive, but no, they want to sit in their comfortable chairs and discuss the "democracticness" of another country.

I can't say that America is doing the "humanitarian" thing by trying to help other nations be democratic. I think there's much more to it. What it may be, I don't know, but when you're so concerned about the political system of other countries and if and how they conform to you, there's a problem. You're not helping the "minor details" of people killing each other, rapid spread of diseases, etc. You can't even straighten up inner city violence in your own country. You can't even make your own country strong and healthy. There's something wrong...

Answer 2

You can see what happens when you try to enforce Democracy on other countries by looking at what has happened in Iraq. Now, several years, many lives, and billions of dollars after the invasion, Iraq is no nearer a democracy than they were under Saddam's rule. In actuality, we have ended up supporting the Shiites, a fundamental Islamic tribe and we have incited a sectarian war.

Unfortunately, our current leaders seem to feel that force is the way to change other nations to fit a pattern of what they call Democracy. They forget that Democracy involves freedom of choice and must be selected, not forced.

In the meantime, conditions in our own Democracy have deteriorated. Our freedoms are imperiled, our money has been spent, our businesses and industries have fled elsewhere.

However, despite being a capitalistic country, we are a Democracy...or a Republic. Each person is considered equal, we have freedom of movement and speech, freedom of elect our own leaders, a balance of powers within our legislative, executive and judicial sections of government which has been abused lately but still survives, and our court system is set up to declare that all are innocent until proven guilty.

We may not always be perfect, because that would be an impossible goal to attain, but we have been a successful nation and an example to other countries.

Answer 3

No, we don't have that right, yet we try to do it anyways. I understand interfering in extreme cases, like during WW2, but most of the time a country should be left alone.

If a country doesn't want a democracy, then the government we install will either fall apart or become corrupt as soon as we leave. Any major political changes really have to start from within the country, not be imposed by an outside force.

Answer 4

That is not our job, and if it were we are going about it a_s backwards.

First of all, we aren't even a democracy. There are no true Democracies in the world! We are a Representative Republic! If we were a Democracy George Bush would have lost the 2000 election.

The irony is we hired Asama bin Laden. We put into office, using TERRORIST attacks by the CIA (very common) the Shaw of Iran, removing from office an elected government. We put Saddam into power, again thanks to the CIA, we put Castro in power, and many more!

And Bush should be the one to talk. He has been attacking the Constitution and breaking treaties since he came into office. We are a nation of laws run by a president who has 800 of them on his desk HE decided were unconstitutional, including the Patriot Act!

Hopefully we can now begin the process of putting Bush out to pasture before he gets those 600 concentration camps built! Check out the White House Website and look at all the power he grabbed without even asking! He says the camps are for illegals! He must think we are really stupid. We need 600 camps to hold the illegals who are not going to be deported anyway!

Answer 5

You are right America isn't really a democracy. It is a capitalistic, limited republic. We have no right to force our way of government on anyone else. It is the same as forcing a certain religion. They are not trying to make us safe by doing so, they want the world to think the same way. We should have made Iraq a Kingdom instead of a democracy. If a relative to the king of Jordan or something similar had taken over they might not hate us as much and there might be less civil war.

Answer 6

Freedom is the right of everyone, democracy is not the freedom. Even America is also not having the freedom in democracy. It goes as per leaders thinking not by common people. So America is not having right to ensure democracy in other country. He can help to other countries to increase freedom for people.

Answer 7

Encouraging freedom anddemocracy--peacefully--is all to the good. But anyone--including this current admimistration--that claims they have some "right" to use force to "bring democracy" to other countries is not interessted in advancing freedom--they are perverting those ideals, reducing to nothing more than propabanda to dustify a war of aggression.

"Democracy imposed from without is the worst form of tyranny"
--Lloyd Biggle

Answer 8

its very hard to determine who has the right to do anything, but it is very simple to determine who DOES NOT have the right to do something.

We don´t have the right to do the right(moral) thing, but we do it anyways. So that means we are doing the right(moral) thing illegally. doing illegal things is not very moral. (damned if we do)

or

we dont do (the moral thing), because we don´t have the right to. So we obey the law, and allow this bad thing to happen. So, since we allowed this bad thing to happen we are not very moral, are we? so everyone is mad at us for allowing this immoral thing to happen, (damned if we don´t)

I don´t think the kitchen example is good analogy for USA, think of it more,in a land with no police, if you´re sitting on your porch, and in the house across the street you see your neighbor getting raped and beat and stabbed by someone.

would you not go help them?

Answer 9

No - Whereas America acts like the Worlds policeman it has no more rights than any other country. Ensuring that democracy (or the USA's definition of it) prevails, is actually dictatorship.

Answer 10

It's not so much a right to provide other countries with a democratic system... It's more of a duty.

Our government is not perfect, but there isn't one that is. Each person over the age of 18 gets a right to vote and decide who leads (whether you think it matters or not, you DO get the right to vote). Each person is also guaranteed the right to the freedoms each human should be afforded.

In addition to each person deserving a right to freedom, America also has a lot of resources (and uses a lot of resources by the way) that other countries do not have. We should be willing to share those resources with the rest of the world.

Our 'kitchen' is not spotless, but it's clean enough to help under-developed nations where children are starving, dying, and not getting an education.

In short, it's not the right to give other nations a democracy. It's the duty America has since America has the most resources to help with. The idea of perfecting our country before helping others is ridiculous, outdated, and outlandish.