15455: Dorce Re: 15423: Vishnusurf: Plato and Democracy (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: LAKAT47@aol.com

In a message dated 5/1/03 5:11:13 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
VISHNUSURF@aol.com writes:

<<isn't democracy horribly overrated? can it
really be considered a human right when one has no clean water to drink? i
once taught philosophy in haiti and my students were quite taken by plato's
argument that democracy is in fact the worst kind of government imaginable.
looking at the world and how the smokescreen of democracy has been used time
and again to justify the horrors of american foreign policy, i would have to
say that he is right.  americans elected ronald reagan TWICE, for crying out
loud.  >>
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Democracy is the most DIFFICULT method of governing that exists,  but I would
argue that it isn't the WORST method.  It works if the people are active
participants, not like in the USA.  Ironically, the people of Haiti are the
ones who are trying to make democracy work in the way it was intended and
they are being punished harshly for it.  They want a say in how their lives
are effected, and who wouldn't in their situation!  The educated and wealthy
have had the better part of 200 years to do right by Haiti and the people and
have proven to be self serving in the extreme.  Now the people want to say
what they want.  I say let it happen and see how it works.....the other way
didn't work at all except for a few at the top.  Time for change.....now if
we can get the American people to give a damn about the rest of the world, we
would be doing great!

Kathy Dorce~