Middle East Democracy

[mrsx]

BINT JBEIL, Lebanon Jun 5, 2005 — Hezbollah and its Shiite allies claimed victory in southern Lebanon in Sunday's second stage of national elections, a vote the militant group hopes will prove its strength and send a message of defiance to the United States.

Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters drove through the streets of Beirut waving the group's yellow flag in celebration. In Beirut's predominantly Shiite southern suburbs, fireworks lit the sky.

Four hours after polling stations closed, Hezbollah and its ally the Shiite Muslim Amal movement claimed they had won all 23 seats in the region bordering Israel. Official results were not due before midday Monday
********************************
Looks like another victory for GWB's crusade for democracy. Trouble with giving people the vote is they sometimes vote the wrong way. Hanging chads, anyone?

 

[no1tovote4]

In order to "vote" for the other guy you had to psychically know his name and write it on the ballot, but it still would be counted for the Hezbollah guy anyway and Hezbollah would throw a little "party" at your house....

 

[mrsx]

In order to "vote" for the other guy you had to psychically know his name and write it on the ballot, but it still would be counted for the Hezbollah guy anyway and Hezbollah would throw a little "party" at your house....

Perhaps our Muslim brothers are not quite as ready to light that flame of freedom that burns in every heart as we once supposed. Do you have any suggestions to improve the situation? This was to be the crown jewel of our Middle East policy as little as two weeks ago. Kind of a letdown, don't you think?

 

[dmp]

I bet you blame doctors when a cancer patient dies too, eh? I mean, so much for the doctor TRYING to help the person eh?

Sofa King We Todd Did.

 

[no1tovote4]

Perhaps our Muslim brothers are not quite as ready to light that flame of freedom that burns in every heart as we once supposed. Do you have any suggestions to improve the situation? This was to be the crown jewel of our Middle East policy as little as two weeks ago. Kind of a letdown, don't you think?

Until they are willing to use the power of the laity in their religion and remove the Terrorists from the leadership, by vote, there is little we can do other than what we are doing, working directly to effect the leadership of the nations there, the religion will come in strength. More and more often we find people in Iraq who are willing to take charge and inform about the terrorists in their midst. Less fear=more freedoms, this too will follow.

However believing in the "freedom" of choice that they have in their current body politic in Syria seems a little disingenuous.

 

[5stringJeff]

Looks like another victory for GWB's crusade for democracy. Trouble with giving people the vote is they sometimes vote the wrong way. Hanging chads, anyone?

So would you rather have people be told which way they will vote, Darth?

 

[mrsx]

I bet you blame doctors when a cancer patient dies too, eh? I mean, so much for the doctor TRYING to help the person eh?

Sofa King We Todd Did.

When some quack with a phony medical degree (GWB) cons his way in, sells the patient a bogus patent medicine from Haliburton and then the patient dies, yes I blame him.

 

[mrsx]

So would you rather have people be told which way they will vote, Darth?

No, I would rather recognize that parliamentary democracy is a cultural artifact, an acquired taste if you like, whose mechanisms and benefits have to be nurtured over time. It is not some universal human value that can be expected to spring up overnight as the result of bombing the country next door.

 

[mrsx]

Until they are willing to use the power of the laity in their religion and remove the Terrorists from the leadership, by vote, there is little we can do other than what we are doing, working directly to effect the leadership of the nations there, the religion will come in strength. More and more often we find people in Iraq who are willing to take charge and inform about the terrorists in their midst. Less fear=more freedoms, this too will follow.

However believing in the "freedom" of choice that they have in their current body politic in Syria seems a little disingenuous.

The model whereby religious influence is replaced by secular democracy took most of the 17th century in Britain and wasn't complete either there or here until the 19th century. It is far from clear that the Arab world is going to replicate that experience at an accelerated rate in the early years of the 21st century. Our self-interested presumption that we can show other cultures how to be like us, or even that they want to be like us just isn't panning out.

 

[Annie]

What about a quack like yourself claims to be somebody they are not? I guess you can say that we feel about you as you feel about Bush but we have a better argument for our disgust!

You mean a 70 something year old female, former military, from a military family? With a stepson, son, brother, something that was unjustly killed? You mean that kind of claiming to be something they are not?

 

[mrsx]

What about a quack like yourself claims to be somebody they are not? I guess you can say that we feel about you as you feel about Bush but we have a better argument for our disgust!

See, there you go again. Unable to refute my ideas - or even to understand them - you fall back on infantile name calling. By your own definition of the term, you are the troll. Turn in your cape and magic decoder ring, O Evil One, you are not up to the task!

 

[mrsx]

You mean a 70 something year old female, former military, from a military family? With a stepson, son, brother, something that was unjustly killed? You mean that kind of claiming to be something they are not?

Yep, that's me. Got a problem with that? It was my stepson. He wasn't unjustly killed. He died serving in Santo Domingo. What have you done to justify your oxygen consumption on this planet, you self-satisfied little troll?

 

[mrsx]

What about a quack like yourself claims to be somebody they are not? I guess you can say that we feel about you as you feel about Bush but we have a better argument for our disgust!

That "we have a better argument" is another example of your pathetic attempt to identify youself with some larger, more powerful group. Like the childishly grandiose title of Sir Evil, it suggests an immature and insecure little troll worried about everything from his popularity to his penis size. Ha!

 

[Shattered]

Wow.. For someone having to ask the definition of a troll repeatedly, you sure are quick to throw the term around now.. Monkey see, monkey do?

 

[Annie]

Yep, that's me. Got a problem with that? It was my stepson. He wasn't unjustly killed. He died serving in Santo Domingo. What have you done to justify your oxygen consumption on this planet, you self-satisfied little troll?

I'm a troll because after about 2 posts to you I decided to ignore. Fuck you, Wade or whomever.

 

[5stringJeff]

No, I would rather recognize that parliamentary democracy is a cultural artifact, an acquired taste if you like, whose mechanisms and benefits have to be nurtured over time. It is not some universal human value that can be expected to spring up overnight as the result of bombing the country next door.

I heartily disagree. The yearning for freedom is a universal trait.

 

[no1tovote4]

The model whereby religious influence is replaced by secular democracy took most of the 17th century in Britain and wasn't complete either there or here until the 19th century. It is far from clear that the Arab world is going to replicate that experience at an accelerated rate in the early years of the 21st century. Our self-interested presumption that we can show other cultures how to be like us, or even that they want to be like us just isn't panning out.

I am not talking about secular Democracy. They vote for the leaders of their churches, until the laity has the guts to vote the terrorists the boot they are likely to keep voting in angry dictators secularly that fill their ballots with one name and force them to the polls. But to use Syria as a bullet in a gun attempting to strike policy in the Middle East in its entirety is a silly attempt and at best is loading with blanks, at worst with a gun that will explode in your own hand when you attempt to discharge it. To give the laity the ability to say no to the terrorists will be the way we win this war, there is no need to "win their hearts and minds" only to give them their courage.

You must first give a chance to the people that are choosing their own secular leadership in the area, it took over 4 years to help Germany install one, and they were a Democracy before Hitler took over. Give it some time, oh Impatient One, then judge. The amazing strides we have made already will tend to point in a different direction than the assumption that people that vote for their religious leaders will be unable to grasp the concept of voting secularly.

 

[mrsx]

I was merely making a comparison for you and did not reply with any name calling. Fact is nobody really buys the crap you been shoveling. To be honest I'll go out on a limb here and say that you are full of shit about having this here step son or whatever that was killed in action, and that you served yourself.
If I'm wrong about this, may I burn in hell! probably going to anyway.

Have to say that your silly thoughts of decoder rings and capes are awfully familiar!

Thrashing around as usual. You claim to read minds in order to determine so-called troll status, now you use the old potty mouth to tell me I'm not who I am. Few things are as absurd as a powerless person (that's you) who has been given a tiny bit of power (Junior Moderator). Where is all that thoughtful evidence and reasoned analysis you were urging on me? Your tantrums and hot flashes sound even more goofy than the lame excuses you offer each time you are caught breaking your own rules. O Evil One, I dub thee Karnak the Absurd.

 

[mrsx]

I'm a troll because after about 2 posts to you I decided to ignore. Fuck you, Wade or whomever.

Another "Wade-ologist" Is it something in the water or have you been eating lead sinkers again? Snippy gossip isn't on-topic. Don't you have any ideas at all?

 

[Annie]

Clain to read minds eh? as per usual your head has been up your ass!


Junior mod? Ok, you keep thinking that.

Dub me whatever you may, still don't change the fact that you are a troll and everyone knows it!

She is below a troll, or he, whatever.