can you live without democracy

:)

here is the difference

let them use if even they dont know how to use...i am sure democracy will start work, yes may be it took ages..

Xray, are you sure you understand me? I am 100 % against dictators, benign or not. I am 100 % for democracy with or without educated people. All I try to say is that democracy won't work if the people don't know how to use it!

and i think because that SHEIKH glass is full and he is sure that it will remain full

while in other parts world every dictator always keep filling it even if its overflowing... sorry

Who said, there wasn't, Xray. Anarchy is not equal to democracy. And, Xray, many Middle Eastern countries are happy with dictators, because they are used being told what to do through their "patriarchal" tribal social and political structure. They always had a Sheikh who knew everything better. They still want to have that Sheikh.

its a slow learning process... its not a switch ON and everything is ok... good leaders are not available in any market but with the passage of time, with the experience and difficulties eventually people will start differentiating between good and bad...

There is a difference between anarchy and dictators, I believe.

Xray, from my very personal point of view, no dictator is good. It is against my conviction.

You still don't believe me? How many African countries were released into independence and had "democratic" elections? And how many "democratic" African countries ended up in brutal dictatorships? Why? Because the people who elected their democratic representatives were not really able to make a proper choice.

just count good dictators in the whole world and you will find few examples may be only in muddle east region where people are happy even under the dictator... did u ever think why???

Democracy is not something complicated. Even the primary school students elect their own monitors. C'mon MD, benevolent dictators or otherwise, dictators suffocate their people.

Sure, platao, it "is" for all, but it doesn't "work" for all, unless you know "how" it works.

I give you one more: Gaius Julius Ceasar, a dictator himself said: " Let fat men be around me." Why did he say that? Fat man are content, they don't think. Slim men are still hungry, they think. Voila.

Mom: yes, you are right, democracy is 4 all

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ

If democracy is all about finding solutions to problems I am sure those who elect their own people will make sure they elect properly. Plus democracy is at micro level also, ie in rural side with just 200-300 population. Democracy is not for the elite only.

Xray, and maybe you also noticed that education always is a "primary" issue in democracies, whereas in dictatorships it is not, for a good reason.

Xray, what "choice" do "uneducated" people have? Do they realize what they are doing? Do they "know" what they are doing"? We are not talking about what to buy for breakfast, we are talking about how to properly run a country.

i agree with this thought that democracy and education are side by side processes and we should not separate

them

Mom, democracy and "uneducated" people is a dangerous mix. Because they are uneducated, any bastard who is clever enough will surely use them for his purpose!! Because they are uneducated they cannot judge what the jerk does. Because they are uneducated they will sooner or later be under his dictatorship. Did you ever notice that political rebellions began from university campus?? (Except for the military coups, of course)

Xray: No intention to offend Islam in anyway, democracy should allow people to think with their own heads and not blindly, that's why u need education so you know what are your interests

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ

i am surprised to see the comments that first we have to wait for the educated people so that they choose the right one...

MagicDragon, I don't agree with you either on your statement that uneducated people are better off with benign dictarors.

Are all dictators educated ? If not, than how can they handle the responsibilty of convincing and guiding their uneducated population.

Democracy gives an open platform to every individual's expression (including uneducated one's). It avoids one sided judgement and instills confidence in public.

My point exactly, brit.

It is an itterative process..Both education and democracy go hand in hand.. You cannot and should not wait for everyone to be educated before introducing democracy..

First of all you nasty cat, I mentioned above that a "benign" dictator is the solution for some countries. And secondly, you sweet cat, you need educated people, otherwise they will elect the wrong people. If they are not educated they will fall for the one who makes the most noise.

fFC: even funnier is that Lula, Brazilian president, used to be all against capitalism and always defended comunism, now leads a democratic country on a market economy.

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ

Have to disagree with you, MD. A benign dictator can govern better than a corrupt elected government. However, a bad dictator can do too much harm to a country's citizens (Idi Amin, Robert Mugabe etc).

I don't buy that lack of education is a deterrant for democracy. The level of education in Brazil is not that high (I'm talking proper education, not just literacy rates). Yet, Brazilians are a lot better off today than when there was a dictatorship in the 60s and 70s.

Power to the people! :)

But it doesn't bother me that there is no democracy here. If it did, I wouldn't have come here.

I would'nt like to live here too long. But its been almost 3 yrs I have been living in Qatar. But soon I will go back to my own country which is a Democracy.

QT: Maybe the Sheik would than run for president or prime minister just like it happened in Bahrein.

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ

Modern Wonderer: Don't think anyone pretended to offend People, but MD has a point, and i think that he and brit clarified to you that to get to democracy some changes must be implemented, a good example is racism and xenophobia, all population should be allowed to study and leurn about respect.

When i was at Morocco, a lady told me that the main problem there regarding education was that people would leurn to read/write, than go to leurn the Qur'an at religious schools and after they would go work with their parents, luckilly in some of Morroquian cities, there are already several people studying further that they used to do, you'll be tought to be racional.

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ

...system here!

I mean the locals ofcourse!

They wouldn't swap it for democracy at all!

Heard a great anecdote at an after dinner speech once.

A few dogs are talking in london street. All are complaining about the cold, lack of food etc etc. The Russian , Borzoi says that back in Lenningrad, he had servants, a mink lined basket and steak for dinner whenever he wanted..

The other dogs were incredulous. If you lived like a king, then why did you leave all that to come here to this hell hole ?

The Borzoi answered, “yes the life was great, but its great to be able to bark whenever one wants”

MD, Brit expat, i agree 100% , but please realize that this is a hard thing to say, really not politicaly correct, it means ok you will get democraty but not know because you are not redy as a nation/people

hard to swallow for UN and human right NGO

Don't wait for the last judgment it takes place every day.

"Albert Camus "

Yes, brit, the history of Europe clearly shows us that it was a long and serious fight to get the people to a state of mind and knowledge to allow democratic rules.

Okay, MW, they can be governed democratically with uneducated people, but then it won't work.

Agree with you. The transition to "democracy" is long and as you said, some countries may not be ready for a big bang approach..

Having said that, I personaly feel that the democratic process is neccessary and must be embraced by all..

i agree with you MD.....but you realize that saying that some countries cannot be governed democratically because their citizens are not educated is a harsh thing to say!! politicaly incorrect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't wait for the last judgment it takes place every day.

"Albert Camus "

I don't know any "undemocratic" countries, only undemocratic governments. I have to say some countries cannot be governed democratically because their citizens are not educated to take their political responsibilities. So they are better off with a benign dictator. I don't care personally. I seem to have more freedom here than in Europe. I mean it.

so love is the most powerfullthing on this planet !

Don't wait for the last judgment it takes place every day.

"Albert Camus "

Don't think so, but for love....i would do it ;)

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ