open Democracy News Analysis - Can democracy be exported?, Daniele Archibugi - Comments

baccokarim on "Can democracy be exported?"

baccokarim — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:53:00 +0000

Like all your other writings I very much enjoyed this article. However, I am deeply troubled by your portrayal of Iranian regime as one that: �have broad popular support and have been ratified through free and fair elections.� It is true that there are elections in Iran, but it is important to remember that those elections give the populace a choice between �thin-bearded Imams� and �thick-bearded Imams�, it is equally important to look at the recent historical evidence which shows that at the end of every elections whichever group wins they pursue the same policies. The Iranian regime does not enjoy popular support at all, it is only in the West�s inaccurate account that it does.

Here is where one can identify UE�s selfish and hypocritical �democracy export�. Hypocritical because it deals with Iran as if it is a democratic country and has an illusion about people like Khatami�s soft theocracy. Remember St. Andrew insulting, shameful and dishonourable 'honouring' of Khatami?

Look at the European foreign policy on Turkey, which is on the right track, and compare and contrast it with its foreign policy regarding Syria and Iran. Thus EU�s democracy export is selfish because it does not reach non-European countries and is based on double-standard. This foreign policy approach is strikingly similar to the US�s national-interest based foreign policy, the difference can be explained in terms of US�s military power and EU�s military weakness. The EU, unlike the US, does not possess stick and its use of carrot has been equally selective, just like the US�s use and abuse of its stick.

The reduction in the effectiveness of the EU�s carrot outside the West is the result of the absence of stick, or unwillingness of its utilisation. Your are absolutely right that �the carrot has an enormous advantage over the stick� but only when one is in possession of both.

Pathon on "Can democracy be exported?"

Pathon — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 22:17:10 +0000

You can argue this way if you truly believe that some, if not all American military invasions abroad were in some way linked to that noble notion of exporting liberal democracy. I personally do not believe in altruism being practiced in international relations and I think that the point taken to start a discussion from was erroneous. In my view, there is no such thing in the American foreign policy as 'exporting democracy'. They may like us to believe in that, and even to wonder over particular tactics they use to accomplish that, but this rather 'romantic' rhetoric is not matched by concrete actions on the ground, and therefore the entire concept is in my eyes fallacious. Put it simply, �exporting democracy� is just another excuse (cover) to pick up a fight with regimes disliked by strikingly affluent and always profit-seeking people in Washington.

I think that your remarks about the EU are valid, but I am hesitant to think that the European Union could have done anything to preserve Yugoslavia (not even a federation of Serbia and Montenegro a decade later). Membership criteria of the time were set more to keep other countries away from the European Union than to lure them in. Plus, the European Union had no plans for an action outside its borders (let alone a common approach to a major crisis). Only later, when it was realized that Europe (EU) would be better off with liberal democracies flourishing in the former socialist countries of Europe, the principle of conditionality was discovered and swiftly introduced as a tool in usually brutal diplomatic bargaining. It has become a fine way of influencing domestic economic, political and social arrangements of other countries aspiring to become members of the European Union. So I could agree that the European Union has been using wisely its own economic power and prestige to pursue an excellent cause (democratization) in countries wanting to join 'the club'. But, nothing comes free in capitalism and the member states of the European Union have always known what would be up for grab following an enlargement round. But, by most standards, the European Union is definitely doing much better than the United States in �exporting democracy� (assuming that such a concept truly exist in international politics).

Can democracy be exported?, Daniele Archibugi

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Military action has rarely succeeded in achieving the United States’s main political aims. Daniele Archibugi examines the precedents and explains why carrots work better than sticks. Read the rest of this post...