Elections not the silver bullet

President Bush has made the core of his foreign policy the spread of democracy in the Arab world. In principle of course it is the right thing to do. As a person who is a believer in a foreign policy that is proactive not isolationist I believe democracy is a right to all. However elections are not the end all be all in establishing democracies. Some have argued that military force to remove anti-democratic leaders followed by quick democratic elections will establish permanent democracy. I believe this is a flawed logic. It is a trap administrations in both parties have fallen for in the past. In Vietnam LBJ reinforced South Vietnam with hundreds of thousands of US troops and forced the military regime ruling the nation to hold free elections. So in September 1967 over 70 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in a free elections. In Iraq after the removal of Saddam Hussein free elections took place three times with 70 percent turn out in the election in December of 2005. US pressure also lead to elections in the Palestinian terrorize in 2005. All three of these elections were hailed as a great step forward for establishing stable democracies in each country. All however failed to address the underlying problems in each situation. The new government in Vietnam remained corrupt lost public support and folded when US forces drained of money and blood pulled out and communists overran the South. In Iraq the election returns followed sectarian lines and increased sectarian and overall violence push the country towards civil war. The Palestinian elections resulted in the terrorist/political movement Hamas coming to power resulting in a current crisis that may cause war. As I watch Israeli air strikes on Gaza tonight I wondered do elections ever lead to stability. Other examples in America, Yugoslavia, and Ireland just to name 3 more seem to support my case. Democracies can work but they must be built on a foundation of stable and moderate leadership who support human rights, seek peace and above all are viewed as legitimate by all their people.