01 May 2008
Autocracy vs. Democracy
In his review of several political commentaries, “After America,” in the April 21, 2008 New Yorker, Ian Buruma implied that liberal democracies and particularly the United States had something to learn from autocracies like China about letting well enough alone. It seems, in fact, that the U.S. sometimes acts like an intermittent autocracy. The compulsion to instill democratic values in other societies by force would not be U.S. foreign policy if it were put to a vote; but between elections, the American people tend to let our government undertake bellicose international initiatives because they are recovering from electoral politics fatigue.
Autocratic states have governments or dictators that rule without check by the will of the people as much owing to the consent of a permanently sullen population as to forced subjugation. It takes a combination of wealth, education, and diligence for liberal democracy to emerge as the solution to the challenge of governance in any country. The correct mixture varies for each culture and, indeed, autocratic rule produces better public welfare in some societies than disorderly or incompetent democracy. The goal that we should strive for in the world is to create optimal living conditions for most people. Achieving that goal, and not blindly imposing the trappings of democracy, will more surely protect us from terrorism and insecurity.
In his review of several political commentaries, “After America,” in the April 21, 2008 New Yorker, Ian Buruma implied that liberal democracies and particularly the United States had something to learn from autocracies like China about letting well enough alone. It seems, in fact, that the U.S. sometimes acts like an intermittent autocracy. The compulsion to instill democratic values in other societies by force would not be U.S. foreign policy if it were put to a vote; but between elections, the American people tend to let our government undertake bellicose international initiatives because they are recovering from electoral politics fatigue.
Autocratic states have governments or dictators that rule without check by the will of the people as much owing to the consent of a permanently sullen population as to forced subjugation. It takes a combination of wealth, education, and diligence for liberal democracy to emerge as the solution to the challenge of governance in any country. The correct mixture varies for each culture and, indeed, autocratic rule produces better public welfare in some societies than disorderly or incompetent democracy. The goal that we should strive for in the world is to create optimal living conditions for most people. Achieving that goal, and not blindly imposing the trappings of democracy, will more surely protect us from terrorism and insecurity.
Comments:
Post a Comment
