Walter In Denver

Clarity

How often do you hear some one of influence say the U.S. is trying to export democracy to countries around the globe? We usually take that to mean we want to see them have the things we have, namely freedom. But freedom and democracy are distinct concepts, not incompatible, but not synonymous either.

Case in point, a province of Pakistan has implemented sharia law. A local official defended the change by saying it was decided democratically, and he's right in that point. Jim Henley argues:

Ooh, democracy! And it's true, they held a vote, and the bigger team won. The smaller team now may not charge interest, must teach more Koranic instruction in schools, cover its wicked wicked cheekbones if it is female, and all that.

I really regret the way we toss the term "democracy" around in our foreign policy rhetoric. It gives people the idea that the most important thing in politics is voting. But the most important thing in politics is freedom. The American model is not "democracy," it's constitutionally-limited government with a democratic component (even still). Far, far more important than the fact that Americans get to vote is the large category of things on which Americans don't get to vote. Locking up people who write bad things, jailing people for worshipping the wrong gods, compelling self-incriminating testimony in criminal cases, issuing bills of attainder and other items on an admittedly shrinking list. Even here, it's shameful that people can vote to prohibit behaviors that a sane country would call "making an honest living." But we had the idea right. Then we go an screw up explaining it to everyone else.

I guess it's just too much of a chore to say we want individual rights to be protected. Let 'em have democracy instead.

Posted by Walter at December 18, 2003 08:31 AM