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Essay on Based On Paper: Iraq and Democracy
As a matter of fact, it is likely possible for Iraq to become a democracy. And, of course, there are a number of reasons. In fact, numerous scholars have expressed pessimism about the possibility of Iraq building a viable, democratic regime after Saddam Hussein. In their view, democracy is likely to fail because Iraq does not possess the necessary prerequisites for building and maintaining a stable, democratic system. When the United States and Coalition forces began military operations in Iraq on March 20, 2003, two objectives were stated: finding and destroying Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and bringing freedom and democracy to the Iraqi people.
The U.S. Administration's moral justification for waging war, liberating the Iraqi people from the grips of a ruthless dictator, is predicated on the conviction that Iraq can transition to build a new, democratic form of government. (Robin Wright 2004) This means, among other things, providing the people of Iraq with freedom: the ability to choose leaders through open, free, and fair elections, the separation of powers in government, strong support for the rule of law, a supportive civil society, and strong and effective institutions.
But is it possible to impose democracy upon a country through the use of military force? Critics of U.S. military intervention contend that efforts at exporting democracy are likely to fail because external factors are secondary to internal ones. (Samuel P. Huntington 2001) These internal factors include socio-economic, political, cultural, and historical variables that help mold the forces responsible for the emergence and stabilization of democratic structures. This study challenges the view that domestic conditions within the target state are primary in bringing about democracy, including both structuralist and strategic choice explanations. Instead, I will show that while Iraq lacks most of the necessary prerequisites for creating democratic governance, the failure of democracy is not a forgone conclusion, even in the sometimes chaotic and violent situation currently gripping the country.......
