For the bleeding hear liberal media controlled by the secret society of American Loathers who say,”We speak of spreading democracy, yet appear to be fine with an Ally in Musharraf deposing a Chief Justice and declaring marshal law”. *yawn* So?

We need to understand, as Americans, what the term “Democracy” really means. It is a system of government that is far beyond the mere presence of elections. Even Saddam and Stalin had elections people, they even had approval ratings over 98% Bush would sell whats left of his soul for half those numbers, and I think Cheney would buy it from him. Democracy is a system of government that has at its core several principles that are unique and are though not as visible as elections are the very essence of the American system.

The first is the belief that individuals have merit, while some have more merit than others, each are endowed with a say in the type of government that they will serve. This largely comes from the principle of the Social Contract put forth by Jean Jacques Rousseau. That society as a whole has come to an understanding based upon mutual understandings of Justice, and Values. What democracy does is allow this contract to live and breathe as new generations are able to make their own decisions about justice and the values that define them.

The second principle that is necessary to have a thriving democracy is the understanding of the rule of law. This is to say that there are some things that the law cannot do. It is to be a shield against the oppression of the state, rather than a sword used to enforce it.

The third of these principles would be the extension of the previous principles stated, rights of the minority.  This ideal enforces makes it necessary that the government follow the will of the Majority, but not at the expense of the Minority.  An example here would be Zimbabwe’s land transfer program, where the people voted and the sheer numbers allowed the land, wealth, and even lives of the white citizens of Zimbabwe be taken from them.  There was an “election” that was somehow though to give legitimacy to this action, but one could never say it matches with the ideals of a Democracy.

Another crucial element necessary to have a democracy is having only those who have a stake in the system, partake in the system, at least in its infancy.  This limiting of the franchise prevents those who would do damage to the system from being allowed to do so.  Our example here can be Pakistan.  The tribal areas that border Afghanistan, are supporters of the ideology that spawned the Taliban.   Therefore it is a completely legitimate strategy to prevent them frompartaking in the system they will use simply to legitimize their own views.

This is how our country was able to get through the very harsh incubation period.  Limiting the voting public to male landholders, who would have something to lose if the system did go down in flames.  Even further checks and balances placed on the public by having an electoral college decide the out come of Presidential races.

It is when that Democracy becomes entrenched and the precedents made that the franchise can be extended to those once excluded from the system.  Their are countless examples in which the rising expectations of the populace, exceeded the governments ability to make rapid changes, leading to the collapse of that government.

While it would be nice to prevent the collapse of government and the decent of a population into anarchy, it becomes a critical import when dealing with Pakistan.  Having been aided by the Chinese to develop a nuclear program, as a check on India, the prospect that Pakistan would devolve into chaos is unacceptable.  Having already cited the obvious influence that the ideology of the Taliban has on the borderlands, to allow these people even the chance of obtaining this technology is unacceptable.

What we see in Pakistan now is the clash between the highly educated populace within Pakistan, that have been educated in the West with historical and systematic checks in balances.  Their completely understandable desire to have a government accountable  to the people, must be balanced against the obvious influence that may be gained by the extreme views of Islam.

Should Pakistan fall, it will be the largest and gravest casualty of Bush’s war in the Persian Gulf.  For we will have given the enemy we are supposedly fighting, Islamic Extremists, a path to the very weapons of mass destruction that could be used against us.  With the stakes this high we should be supportive of liberty and justice for all, who deserve it.