Rice Says Elections First Step to Democracy in Muslim Countries

[sabra]

http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/Archive/2006/May/02-684128.html

Rice Says Elections First Step to Democracy in Muslim Countries
Constitutional debate in Afghanistan centers on religious freedom

Washington - Democracies in Muslim countries will not evolve like democracy in the United States, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, but the essence of democracy remains the same even though the expression of basic values reflects different traditions and cultures.

“If you can't say what you think, if you can't elect those who are going to govern you,” Rice said at the National Conference of Editorial Writers on May 1, “it's not a democracy.”

The secretary said free elections are a first step toward achieving democracy, not the finishing touch.

“I would challenge anybody to find a case in which democratic institutions arise in an authoritarian state,” Rice said. “It doesn't happen.”

[joemurphy]

1. Those elections worked great with the Palestinians.

Hamas will be a wonderful partner over the negotiating table. The nice thing about democracies is they don't attack other democracies...except for Hitler, who was democratically elected.

[IndianaGreen]

3. They sure did!

Condi should be kissing Hamas's ass! It shouldn't be hard, terrorist to terrorist.

[ButterflyBlood]

10. Just a nitpick correction

Hitler was not really democratically elected. The Nazis never received over 36% of the vote and actually lost votes in the election in which Hitler was appointed Chancellor. He essentially made a lot of backroom deals to take office in which the people he conned largley thought he could be controlled (big mistake), and then used the Reichstage incident to seize complete power. And since all other parties were banned once he took over, Germany could hardly be called a democracy when it started invading its neighbors.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. What a wonderful idea! Maybe they'll let us do that in the U. S...

...I'd like to be living in a Democracy again.

[951-Riverside]

4. The elections clearly worked wonders iraq

...if you're a freeper you probably think I'm series!!!! :rofl:

[CrazyOrangeCat]

5. Guess what, Condi?

No one is listening anymore!

Keep speaking into the vacuum if you prefer . . . though, at this point, sitting down at the baby grand might be much more worthwhile.

[Supersedeas]

14. worst Sec of State ever?

[Up2Late]

6. REALLY! And THEN what happens Secretary Obvious?

Man, is she annoying or what?

[pinniped]

7. These fuckers were touting this as the solution to everything....

gone bad in Iraq before.

The POS secretary said free elections are a first step toward achieving democracy, not the finishing touch.

[TankLV]

8. “I would challenge anybody to find a case in which democratic institutions

arise in an authoritarian state,” Rice said. “It doesn't happen.”

Let's see:

PHILIPPINES:

then there's
Russia
Ukraine
Romania
Yugoslavia
Checkoslovakia
Poland
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia

and:
Germany

not to mention:
Venezuala
Bolivia
Peru
Argentina

shall we go on?

[ButterflyBlood]

11. Honestly, almost every country in the world is an example

Pretty much every country in South America works, as well as all countries in Europe except maybe Switzerland. Then you have pretty much every democratic country in Africa and Asia. Actually can anyone name any countries that HAVEN'T had some authoritarian governments at one point? There might be a few examples, but you could count them on both hands, if not one.

[Golden Raisin]

9. Uh, Condi...

Ya wanna worry about the electoral process right here at home before we concern ourselves with overseas? Maybe you could consult with Presidents Gore & Kerry. How dare we preach democracy to anyone else when the last 2 elections here have been stolen?

[garybeck]

12. However elections are not important for US ....

[Roland99]

13. Um, weren't the elections in Iran a democratic process?