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Were the American colonists the exception?Reader comment on item: Can Hezbollah and Hamas Be Democratic? Submitted by Pat (United States), Mar 23, 2005 at 17:19 There was at least one instance where rebels became the establishment. I refer to America, where the man who led the American colonists against the British army went on to become the father of our country and a major force in our democracy. He established an unofficial two-term limit for presidents, which stood for more than a century.Daniel is skeptical, but that does that mean his mind is closed to the possibility that current members of Hamas and Hezbollah are capable of democratic government? If we write them off as incapable of democracy, will democracy ever stand a chance in the Middle East? The Nazi party was banned in Germany after the war. Maybe the solution is to ban these parties and invite their members to form new organizations. If Hamas really does have a "political" wing then there should be no problem. The same goes for Hezbollah. If the new parties continue to espouse violence and the people still support them, then we know what the future will look like and it's not pretty. Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments". << Previous Comment Next Comment >> Reader comments (56) on this item
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All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes (The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998. For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.) |