Comments on: Democratic Peace a Myth? http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/democratic_peace_a_myth/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:51:20 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Dave Schuler http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/democratic_peace_a_myth/comment-page-1/#comment-70991 Dave Schuler Mon, 16 Jan 2006 20:00:40 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/13297#comment-70991 Rudy Rummel, the scholar of the field, has his own blog called, appropriately enough, <a href="http://freedomspeace.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Democratic Peace</a> (and a prominent place on my blogroll). He's got lots of hard data there for those who are interested in such things. Rudy Rummel, the scholar of the field, has his own blog called, appropriately enough, Democratic Peace (and a prominent place on my blogroll). He's got lots of hard data there for those who are interested in such things.

]]> By: Randall http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/democratic_peace_a_myth/comment-page-1/#comment-70989 Randall Mon, 16 Jan 2006 19:29:41 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/13297#comment-70989 It's a serious and interesting article. Some points. I don't think any one thinks that democracy is a panacea, but, politics being what it is, the message tends to get simplified when presented to the public. It think the idea is that democracy will grow and spread (perhaps with frustrating slowness) to the point where Islamists will lose one of their most potent - and undeniable - debating points - the fact that the Arab government they happen to be attacking is dictatorship supported by the "West." As Zarqawi has admitted, democracy "robs" them (Islamists) of their "pretense." No could they even pretend to be fighting for the people against a dictatorship. Apparently, Che said that it is almost impossible to successfully revolt against a democratic government. Also, Helprin's suggestion that we should not refrain from working with dictatorships is not exactly an idea that is new or without its own perils. We have worked cooperatively with Hussein - whose move on Kuwait started the latest round of Middle East upheaval, and we currently have a superficially cordial relationship with the Saudi royal family who rule the country that supplied most of the 9/11 terrorists. It's a serious and interesting article. Some points.

I don't think any one thinks that democracy is a panacea, but, politics being what it is, the message tends to get simplified when presented to the public.

It think the idea is that democracy will grow and spread (perhaps with frustrating slowness) to the point where Islamists will lose one of their most potent - and undeniable - debating points - the fact that the Arab government they happen to be attacking is dictatorship supported by the "West."

As Zarqawi has admitted, democracy "robs" them (Islamists) of their "pretense." No could they even pretend to be fighting for the people against a dictatorship. Apparently, Che said that it is almost impossible to successfully revolt against a democratic government.

Also, Helprin's suggestion that we should not refrain from working with dictatorships is not exactly an idea that is new or without its own perils.

We have worked cooperatively with Hussein - whose move on Kuwait started the latest round of Middle East upheaval, and we currently have a superficially cordial relationship with the Saudi royal family who rule the country that supplied most of the 9/11 terrorists.

]]> By: DaveD http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/democratic_peace_a_myth/comment-page-1/#comment-70967 DaveD Mon, 16 Jan 2006 15:23:00 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/13297#comment-70967 James, my initial concern was in the last lines where you mentioned that Levy says that "democracies don't go to war with democracies...." and that "this postulate has stood up to rigorous testing". I wondered to myself whether the post WWII world was sufficient time for this so-called rigorous testing to bear itself out. So, I searched Levy's article and he goes back into history much farther than I did in my own mind. Just a comment that my frame of reference differed from his prior to reading his article. James, my initial concern was in the last lines where you mentioned that Levy says that "democracies don't go to war with democracies...." and that "this postulate has stood up to rigorous testing". I wondered to myself whether the post WWII world was sufficient time for this so-called rigorous testing to bear itself out. So, I searched Levy's article and he goes back into history much farther than I did in my own mind. Just a comment that my frame of reference differed from his prior to reading his article.

]]> By: Conservative Outpost http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/democratic_peace_a_myth/comment-page-1/#comment-70966 Conservative Outpost Mon, 16 Jan 2006 15:19:49 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/13297#comment-70966 <strong>Daily Summary</strong> NEWS: - Alito Confirmation Expected Amid Continuing Protest From Liberals - GOP Leadership Race Seen as Harbinger - Iran's Defiance Prompts Call for Emergency Security Council Meeting - Ethics Panels Uncommitted on Reforms - Read 'Em and Weep - Suppo... Daily Summary

NEWS: - Alito Confirmation Expected Amid Continuing Protest From Liberals - GOP Leadership Race Seen as Harbinger - Iran's Defiance Prompts Call for Emergency Security Council Meeting - Ethics Panels Uncommitted on Reforms - Read 'Em and Weep - Suppo...

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