In May, 2005 when Condoleezza Rice made the first EU visit as Secretary of State in Bush's second term. British news media criticized her ruthless in pushing US interests and talking without embarrassment about exporting Freedom and Democracy. Rice responded "There cannot be an absence of moral content of American foreign policy," she said "Europeans giggle at this, but we are not European, we are American, and we have different principles."
The question is: Exactly how good the Democracy is? George Bush visited and praised India last year as the oldest democracy in Asia and the biggest democracy in the world. What exactly how good is the "oldest" and "biggest" Democracy is? British historian Arnold Toynbee said at the end of World War II during the hot debate between the communism and democracy "Let's don't argue, just wait for 50 years to see the two examples in front of us: Both China and India ...
Both China and India have huge population and both are miserably poverty-stricken and ruined from the war, now one starts with Communism, another Democracy..." After 55 years today, China is #1 in Foreign Reserves in the world (Japan #2), #2 in Export (next to Germany), #3 in Import (next to US, Germany), #4 in GDP (next to US, Japan, Germany), India is still eating dust and far behind. Most academics believe that it is the "Democracy" drags India behind.
Democracy cannot ensure the world peace either. People in Germany "democratically" voted Nazi Party the parliament majority and appointed Adolf Hilter "Fuhrer und Reichskanzier" in 1934. That's how the World War II and holocaust got started. George Bush got US people overwhelmingly supported him to invade Iraq in 2003, and four years later over 600,000 Iraqi civilians died. Obviously there is no connection between Peace and Democracy.
Democracy didn't bring wealth to Western power nations either. The wealth of Western powers has started with the industrial revolution in 18 century that didn't happen in other part of the world, and then followed by military power, colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, global trading, and unfair trading practice. This is how Western Powers have accumulated their wealth. Just like many strong wealthy empires in history, none of them got their wealth through "Democracy".
No matter you like it or not, China is still:
#1 in Foreign Reserves in the world (Japan #2),
#2 in Export (next to Germany),
#3 in Import (next to US, Germany),
#4 in GDP (next to US, Japan, Germany).
And worst of all, Olympics is still going to happen next August and the world leaders from more than 50 countries will attend the opening ceremony -- another record in Olympics history.
Just tell me one good thing that "Democracy" could do! At least we all know:
"Democracy" doesn't bring you higher GDP or living standards,
"Democracy" doesn't bring you the harmony of the society,
"Democracy" doesn't bring you a government without corruption,
"Democracy" doesn't bring you the peace, either domestically or internationally. |
