Re: Demo....cracy, Demo....crazy and the PSAT

> >> Since World War II, compiled by historian William Blum:
> >>
> >> China 1945-46
> >> Korea 1950-53
> >> China 1950-53
> >> Guatemala 1954
> >> Indonesia 1958
> >> Cuba 1959-60
> >> Guatemala 1960
> >> Congo 1964
> >> Peru 1965
> >> Laos 1964-73
> >> Vietnam 1961-73
> >> Cambodia 1969-70
> >> Guatemala 1967-69
> >> Grenada 1983
> >> Libya 1986
> >> El Salvador 1980s
> >> Nicaragua 1980s
> >> Panama 1989
> >> Iraq 1991-99
> >> Sudan 1998
> >> Afghanistan 1998
> >> Yugoslavia 1999
> >>
> >> In how many of these instances did a democratic government, respectful
> >> of human rights, occur as a direct result? Choose one of the following:
> >>
> >> (a) 0
> >> (b) zero
> >> (c) none
> >> (d) not a one
> >> (e) a whole number between -1 and +1

The implications that list members have taken from this question seem to
disregard the effects of bombing on countries like South Korea, Taiwan,
The Philippines, and India. These countries were not themselves bombed
but they were the beneficiaries of bombing. Today they have vibrant
democracies.

My aim is not to justify bombing for any particular purpose. Nor is it
to justify the recent bombing of Serbia. It is merely to point out that
the defense umbrella that the U.S. and allies established after WWII
did, in fact, enable not only democracy but economies to develop. In
spite of the bombings, the last 50+ years have been a relatively
peaceful time in the history of the world. Because of the peace, both
economic and political development have proceeded rapidly in many
places. Moreover, the NIC democracies have provided models for the newly
liberated nations of Eastern Europe and for the other developing
countries of Asia, Africa, and South America.

-- 
Pat Gunning, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
Web pages on Subjectivism, Democracy, Taiwan, Ludwig von Mises,
Austrian Economics, and my University Classes
http://www2.cybercities.com/g/gunning/welcome.htm
http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/barclay/212/welcome.htm