Since the end of the Second World War, America and its leaders have been on a crusade to democratize the world. The former Soviet Union leaders accused America of imperialism and responded with a Cold War. But is it really democracy that makes America the superpower it is, or is it something else?

As a Canadian with strong family ties to America, I very much believe in democracy and would prefer to live in a democratic country, given the choice. At the same time I recognize there are other countries where democracy is not practiced at the highest levels of government and yet people not only survive, but also thrive. China is one such example. Before Americans determine for the rest of the world that democracy is the end-all when it comes to political systems, perhaps they need to understand what it is that in fact makes America great.

Anyone who has studied democracies historically would probably conclude that democracy is a rather fragile and cumbersome form of government. The first recorded democracies were in Ancient India, Greece and Rome. The democracies of Greece and Rome interestingly coincided near the beginning of 500 B.C. They evolved from kingdoms that developed into aristocracies and tyrannies. They did not last long relatively speaking. They consisted of elected magistrates and representative assemblies, and in some ways seemed to be experiments in government before they came to be suppressed and supplanted by more efficient forms of government.

To be successful, a democracy needs to have high standards of mutual respect and ethical behavior as preconditions. Where this does not exist, democracy becomes a farce. This is evident in democracies around the world where fraudulent elections spiral countries downward into anarchy and civil war.

So what makes America so special? Is it really democracy, or is it the Christian values that have been its glue since its inception?

It's comforting to think that all people are free and equal, and have a say in the decision making process of the society in which they live. But would that still hold true if, for example, Americans were to vote in Sharia Law for all Americans who were practicing Muslims? Similarly, would it hold true if Americans democratically adopted the caste system of India in America? This may seem absurd to some, but it merely draws attention to the fact that there is much about the American way of life that is taken for granted.

Some Americans look around

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