by Aaron Edgell

Created on: June 17, 2008

Is Democracy in the Middle East possible? It is the contention of this author that Democracy within the framework of the Middle East is probably an idea that is best left to the philosophers. Democracy by and large has made its roots in the disaffected masses that yearn for a better way, a solution to the inequities that have kept many groups down. For centuries now, people have looked to Democracy, not as a hand up but a hand out of their politically corrupt countries. They run from every far flung corner of the world toward the beacon that is the United States and the rest of the western democratic world. As time has progressed it has become evident that it's not nearly enough to just welcome them in but we must also export our political fundamentals. In doing so, we are building a network of bridges that will serve to bind us with an ever changing world. The United States biggest contribution to globalization has been its democratic reforms around the world.

There are exceptions to the effectiveness of our democratic reforms. Those exceptions are precisely what make democracy important in the first place. When any decision is a difficult one, it becomes prudent to allow the group to make the decision as a whole. In doing so, the decision becomes the identity of those casting the vote. The problem is that, as the group becomes more diverse, a unanimous decision becomes less likely. If a decision of the majority is reached, it could potentially serve to alienate as much as half of the population. In countries where one religious or ethnic group barely makes up half the population, this could be a harsh blow to the other groups involved.
What most people know but seem to forget is that democracy in the U.S. was not adopted by multiple ethnic groups and religions. Our forefathers, who framed the Constitution, were all white and held many of the same religious beliefs. It's true that they envisioned a time of intermingling among the masses. They anticipated the day when the U.S. would be a diverse culture of many disaffected ethnic groups and religions. The fundamental issue still remains that these many groups were not involved in the actual drafting of the U.S. Constitution. This is the very document that spells out the cultural identity of the United States. Had the U.S. been the diverse melting pot that it now is, democracy may have never taken hold as we now know it.
The cultural identity of any country is based on the decisions the group makes in the ballot

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