Dave Balderstone wrote:

In article , Tim Daneliuk
wrote:


The most a 3rd party
can ever do is create the environment in which Democracy can take hold -
i.e., Remove impediments like Sadaam and the Taliban.


i.e. Remove a totalitarian regime, but not if they're Chinese and
there's a ****load of money to be made...


Removing them by force may well be impossible. It's an enormous country
with considerable military resources. Moreover, unlike Iraq - where
there were consistent examples of aid to terrorist groups and/or
individuals - China has not thus far demonstrated any animus to the US
nor have they done anything significant to destabilize the planet. It
would be much harder to make the case for violent intervention there.

The Real World is always fraught with compromise. There is no way
the West can be in the Democracy business for each and every nation
that needs it. We have to pick and choose the greatest threats /
greatest opportunities. I think most people who've watched the
region agree that China is improving and there is light at the
end of that tunnel. They thus do not need any Western "attention"
at the moment. The path to Democracy has many paths, but China
appears to be on the most durable one - economic growth. I say
let it be for now and see what hapens.

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Tim Daneliuk
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