The Middle East....NRA, etc and arguing....

[Gloria]

Whenever there is an American election, Americans can give long lists of their president's/government's failures. If American leaders are so terrible at handling apparently everything, why should anybody in "the Middle East" want anything that even resembles an American style government in their country?

Lumpy, you are soooo right. An American form of government works only in a country like Israel. Islamic countries in the Mid East cannot accept democracy because of their religion.

The best form of government for Mid Eastern Islamic countries is a strong dictatorship that partners with American oil Companies rather than the U.S. government. The free flow of oil keeps the dictator and his regime "solvent" and he has no incentive to disrupt that free flow of oil. Neighboring dictators, have no reason to be aggressive, since that could cause disruption and alter their income. Armies would become unnecessary and expensive for dictators. All they would need is a strong internal police force. Israel would be safe and secure.

[nimrod]

Whenever there is an American election, Americans can give long lists of their president's/government's failures. If American leaders are so terrible at handling apparently everything, why should anybody in "the Middle East" want anything that even resembles an American style government in their country?

Some Americans think that they should have the American style government because of arrogance.

[Gloria]

Some Americans think that they should have the American style government because of arrogance.

Americans are proud not arrogant. Our Democratic Republic form of government provides the most liberty and freedom for citizens than any other nation. That in itself has led to the strongest economy the world has ever known and gives us the highest standard of living in the world.

[Naturist Mark]

Islamic countries in the Mid East cannot accept democracy because of their religion.

Turkey, Bangladesh, Indonesia & Malaysia are not democracies? Even Jordan is very democratic under its constitutional monarchy and growing more so. Lebanon is a vibrant if messy democracy, and Iraq is a young democracy growing out of civil war. Democratic reforms are taking place throughout the small Gulf States - Bahrain in particular. The entire north coast of Africa is in a state of nascent democracy. Large Muslim minorities live in democratic India and Nigeria. In fact, the majority of the world's Muslims live in electoral democracies.

While it is true that the Arab world has been far behind most of the world in democratic development, it is making up for that with a vengeance - something Gloria is loudly opposed to. There is nothing about Islam that prevents democracy.

[Naturist Mark]

Americans are proud not arrogant. Our Democratic Republic form of government provides the most liberty and freedom for citizens than any other nation. That in itself has led to the strongest economy the world has ever known and gives us the highest standard of living in the world.

We're actually #4, but that is still something to be proud of.

[Gloria]

Turkey, Bangladesh, Indonesia & Malaysia are not democracies? Even Jordan is very democratic under its constitutional monarchy and growing more so. Lebanon is a vibrant if messy democracy, and Iraq is a young democracy growing out of civil war. Democratic reforms are taking place throughout the small Gulf States - Bahrain in particular. The entire north coast of Africa is in a state of nascent democracy. Large Muslim minorities live in democratic India and Nigeria. In fact, the majority of the world's Muslims live in electoral democracies.

Bangladesh, Indonesia, India & Malaysia are in the Orient, not Mid East.
Democratic reforms may be ATTEMPTING to take place...but it should be interesting to watch this "Arab Spring" unfold. Let's see how democratic Egypt and Libya are in a few months.

While it is true that the Arab world has been far behind most of the world in democratic development, it is making up for that with a vengeance - something Gloria is loudly opposed to. There is nothing about Islam that prevents democracy.

........................until Sharia Law takes over.

[Naturist Mark]

Bangladesh, Indonesia, India & Malaysia are in the Orient, not Mid East.

Ahhh .. but you said it was ISLAM that prevented democracy for them. I guess you meant that ISLAM prevents democracy in the middle-east (except for Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan etc.) but doesn't prevent it in "the Orient". Because Islam is geographically sensitive in its democracy suppressing effects?

You have so much to teach us.

[Gloria]

Ahhh .. but you said it was ISLAM that prevented democracy for them. I guess you meant that ISLAM prevents democracy in the middle-east (except for Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan etc.) but doesn't prevent it in "the Orient". Because Islam is geographically sensitive in its democracy suppressing effects?

You have so much to teach us.

Yes, I know.

Perhaps I should not have limited my statement to just Mid East Islamic countries. I am sure that Sharia Law would over ride democracy in ANY Islamic country.

[Skinview]

Lumpy, you are soooo right. An American form of government works only in a country like Israel. Islamic countries in the Mid East cannot accept democracy because of their religion.

The best form of government for Mid Eastern Islamic countries is a strong dictatorship that partners with American oil Companies rather than the U.S. government. The free flow of oil keeps the dictator and his regime "solvent" and he has no incentive to disrupt that free flow of oil. Neighboring dictators, have no reason to be aggressive, since that could cause disruption and alter their income. Armies would become unnecessary and expensive for dictators. All they would need is a strong internal police force. Israel would be safe and secure.

So you think we should have left Saddam in power?

[LumpyPostage]

He invaded Kuwait. Which country has more oil?