Monday June 20, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

Condi Rice. Again. Speaking at the American University in Cairo the secretary of state gave insight into the Bush Administration's Mideast policy.

"For 60 years, my country, The United States, pursued stability at the expense of Democracy in this region, here in the Middle East, and we achieved neither. Now we are taking a different course. We are supporting the democratic aspiration of all people."

Admirable. But I sit in fear.
Propping up weak people, elected in a game or a cheap election, does not preserve democracy.
Democracy should be introduced through education, it is learned behavior.
Respect and responsibility must be taught, not merely talked about.
The transition towards democracy take years, not seconds.

Voting is fun, especially for a novice.
Along with ballot casting comes other important democratic objectives. Accountability, security, let us not lose sight of their importance.