[Maisy]

Originally Posted by Aricbcool

I think it is a poor argument to say that a culture is too complex to adopt democracy. It insults democracy as an inflexible doctrine suited only for simple cultures/simple people. A great example of a democratic republic (which is what we're really talking about here) is the original model that the US was based on: Rome.

I think complex is the wrong terminology. I suspect it would be more appropos to say that democracy needs certain basic building blocks to stand on, such as a relatively peaceful, relatively educated population, with a relatively safe environment, and as Iksteve says, perhaps a hetergenous population too. Rome had these, America has these, in fact, I can't think of a stable democratic government who doesn't.

So, rather than democracy only suited to simple people, I suspect the reverse is true. Democracy is only able to be implemented successfully where the people and cultures are complex.

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Many nations/tribes do not collectively possess the intellectual capacity of a 9v battery. IMO they are still evolving and many westerners fail to view them in this manner. We'd rather instill our cultural views of fair-play upon them, feed them and force upon them concepts they are not ready to understand.

I agree with you, and you don't need to go overseas to see it. The Aboriginal population in Australia has such serious social problems that there is no easy solution. 200+ years after the advent of European settlement, (and admittedly a lot of mucking about with them) their culture is unsustainable. I won't go on, I know that most countries around the world with indigenous populations have the same problems.

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

To think one must have the aptitude and ability, to imagine one must have the latitude and the freedom to do so.

So, is education the silver bullet? The reason (in part) why we stopped burning witches, enslaving others, practicing genocide, and lots of other nasties, was that our knowledge of the world increased. The renaissance (14th to 16th century) changed how we looked at the world and ourselves, broke the back of religion in Europe, and has continued to change how we react to our environment and shape our culture.

Islam on the other hand, discourages education in all areas except Islam. So, is the solution as simple as educating every islamic child in such fundamentals as critical thinking, basic human rights, the world outside their borders, etc?