by George Ivanov

Created on: January 14, 2009

Making Democracy Unpopular: The US-Iraq Example

The Greeks define democracy as rule by the people. This ideal has inspired centuries of thought, culminating in the Western model of democracy, which is now firmly established, but continuing to evolve in its own right.

In today's world, the United States is losing global influence, but maintains its status of a superpower regardless. It can make a claim for being a bastion of democracy. Analyzing the American system of government reveals that it's designed to be inefficient, so as to prevent the concentration of power and include the voice of the majority in the affairs of the state. It is also one of the most permeable democracies in the world in regards to flow of information, and that helps address the issue of accountability in the establishment.

Western countries have their own democratic systems, united by a common characteristic of freedoms and rights for the individual, but unique in the interpretation of those values in each respective country. However, it is unacceptable to force the same values and beliefs on third countries. The particular case this article looks at is the American involvement in Iraq.

The task of establishing a legitimate democratic regime is very long and difficult. The West has a tradition in democracy, where the concept of human rights, freedoms, respect for private property and other characteristics typical of a democracy, developed slowly over the centuries since the days of the Enlightenment. The argument here is that the development of a democratic state is gradual, and it is exactly this, which must be considered when it comes to building democracy in Iraq.

Armed interventions have succeeded in installing a new regime in power, but throughout the world, they have one aspect in common the established regimes need to be authoritarian if they are to last, and without foreign military support, those based on popular rule, or claiming to rule in the populace's interest, may collapse quickly. Such was the case with the Soviet regime installed in Afghanistan during the USSR's occupation of the country. As soon as the soldiers left, the government collapsed.

What needs to happen in Iraq is the implementation of a long-term strategy. The people need to grow in their mindset to realize that a democracy is the best alternative for governing a state. However, such growth is very slow, and requires a fundamental change in the belief system of people, and this is no less true for Iraqi people.

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