Democracy and Freedom

Escobar wrote: "Democracy" is just the false pretext in which the imperialist west uses to further their imperialist aims...How the hell can u invade a government install a government and call that a democracy?? Democracy arises from the people not from a foreign power...A foreign power can never impose a true democracy on a people...This contridicts the essense of what democracy is... INstead operating under the pretext of spreading democracy the imperialist futher their imperialist aims...

I understand exactly what you are saying.  It's as I said, we do the exact things that we don't want others doing.  We kill people to stop the killing.  We invade countries and force our beliefs on others.  It may be that it is good that Sadaam is no longer in power but at what cost?  Is the cost ever too high?  Did the actual threat actually outweigh the price we have to pay? There was an enormous rush to war and I believe that diplomacy may have worked if given a chance.  I believe Bush is a moron. The biggest losers are going to be our children.  What kind of world are we leaving for future generations? 

Why does a strong nation strike against weaker ones? Because it seeks to impose it's ideology, increase it's power, or gain control over valuable resources. Americans have overthrown 14 governments in a 110 year period of time.  Because they displease us ideologically, politically and for economic reasons. We are now suffering the long term consequences of our actions.  Our children will suffer. 

One of our problems seems to be we are never consistant in our values.  President Reagan supported military regimes in Guatemala and El Salvador that carried out unspeakable crimes until the murder of Hugo Spadafora who was an outspoken Panamanian patriot, then we decided they were a little crazy and too close to the Panama Canal. Anyway, I'm sure you all know the story.

Has anyone read the book "Overthrow" by Stephen Kinzer? It's a great book.  It will really open your eyes (if they're not already) to the root of our evil in this country.  Our government.  Don't get me wrong, I love my freedom but if people in other countries want their freedom, let them fight for it in their country, against their government.  The people of Iraq could have freed themselves from Sadaam.  What I don't understand is how different factions of people can hate each other so much.  Don't they all want the same thing? To be free? To raise familys and live good lives?  Together they could have freed their own country or not.  At least our sons and daughters would not be dieing in this senseless war and we wouldn't be more hated than we already were before the war.