Why democracy can’t be exported to Iraq.
The one thing we don’t have in the developed world, is corruption. Having spoken with people who have sold everything and moved to Canada, the one thing they comment on (for example, back in the Phillipines) is the rampant corruption that exists.
This is a mentality that is much like democracy, or the lack of it. We have just gone thru countless elections here in North America. Regardless of whether your candidate won or lost, not one life was lost or even threatened. The transition of power occurs relatively peacefully, except for a few lawn signs being torn down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRE2eIdYRtY
Viewing one minute in an Iraqi intersection, one can see how the war in Iraq is essentially unwinnable. it will take generations for folks such as this to proceed through an intersection in an organized manner, let alone embrace democracy and an absence of corruption. Bringing about change to the perceptions of the average citizen in both Iraq and many other developing countries, will take much longer, and will only be successful from the inside out.
Unfortunately, change brought about by outsiders is doomed to fail.