Reply to Ianus- Democracy

Submitted by Chris G. (United States), Jul 26, 2007 at 17:25

I agree with you that the democracy in Lebanon is barely functioning. However, your comments about Indonesia are so far off I don't even know where to start. I lived there for two and half years of what I can only describe as perhaps one of the most peaceful countries I have ever lived in.

I lived in Yogyakarta, Central Java right in the heart of their nation. I also often traveled to Jakarta to go to the US Embassy there. Not once did I experience any hatred towards myself, my family, or my fellow American friends. Today, I still have friends who live there who likewise have not experienced any problems living there and working there. Now there have been a few scattered incidents especially on some of the smaller and often remote islands between Christians and Muslims. However these are not reflective of the overall Indonesia society as a whole nor of their history.

As for Turkey. the military acts as a defense of secularism. Remove that and you will get extremists Muslims coming out of the wood work. Yes they are brutal, and no it is by no means a perfect democracy. But then again neither is our own. My mother and father used to belong to an organization that protested peacefully against US policy in Central America. The FBI ransacked their offices and stole material. Local law enforcement swept it under the rug and refused to investigate leads.

Why do I say it was likely FBI? Because at every protest they would be their in their black suits taking photographs of each and every member. Apparently the organization made up of totally non-violent Catholic and Methodist peace workers was a threat to the United States government. Today recently a group I have worked with that feeds homeless people vegan food was a year or so ago branded a "terrorist organization" by my state's head of the FBI. While I'm not a paranoid conspiracy theory nut, I have seen big brother overstep its bounds and engage in crazy goose chases of American citizens who wouldn't harm a fly.

With that said we certain have more freedoms then the Turks do which is why most of the Turks I know choose to stay in America. As for Penal Code 301, as I stated in another post, it is expected to be abolished soon and has only rarely been enforced.

Chris G.

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