January 17, 2011

Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot

Tunisia

It is my contention, that if humans do not destroy life on earth first, every nation in the world will someday be a democracy. This is because it is the most natural and normal form of government. Granted there are times in our own democracy where the public discourse becomes so vitriolic or religious forces take over - one has to wonder - but in the end, our democracy will prevail.

I ask you to look at what is going on in Tunisia right now. This is what eventually happens and like Thomas Jefferson said "the tree of human liberty must be fertilized by the blood of tyrants from time to time." In this region of dictators for leaders, it was hard to imagine that a people's revolution of this type would ever occur. It seems that it is occuring. This is historic. It happens. It is the movement of history. The people want a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

There are a lot of specific reasons for this (beyond it is the inexorable movement of history)like the internet and a weak government, but the people there want "democracy" like colonial America did in 1776.

Finally, it is also my contention that other countries cannot do this dangerous work for another country (nation build)like the U.S. has tried in Iraq. It must come from the discontent and unrest within that country.

If I lived in one of these dictatorial regimes, I would be arrested and likely put to death for the statements I make here. The least I can do is support it through this electronic media. What is going on there is not war ( all war accomplishes is a temporary change of government), it is revolution coming from within, like our forefathers, those radicals in colonial America did several centuries ago.

As Americans, we often think of the historical outcomes of events of our time such as a change in presidential leadership, political party, America's involvement in a war, but I contend, these things will pale historically compared to what is going on in this little country of Tunisia, today.