Thursday, September 20, 2007

Democracy

Dang, I've had a potential post lolling about in my head on Liberty and Democracy for quite some time and here Sowell goes and distills it very succintly.

Democracy means voting. It does not mean freedom. When we lump the two ideas together, we confuse ourselves and others.

Britain was a free country long before it became democratic. In Germany, Hitler was elected democratically. In much of Africa, democracy in practice has meant, "One man, one vote -- one time," as elected leaders put an end to both elections and freedom.
I probably have stuff to add, though, and this just may get me thinking about it a bit more.

Before people on the right and the left get all lathered up from their respective perspectives about the title and his rejection of nation building (for which he makes a great case), he sums up by saying what I keep saying:

This is not a plea for withdrawal. Whatever the situation when we went in, international terrorists have chosen to make this the place for a showdown battle. We can win or lose that battle but we cannot unilaterally end the war.

It is the terrorists' war, regardless of where it is fought.

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