6) Democracy Vs. Autocracy ("By Any Other Name") Poem by Otradom Pelogo

'Even in the midst of transition from an autocratic to a democratic state, although still imporvished, the democratic state will do as good as if not better than an autocratic run state, both immediately and in the long run; the Dominican Republic, India, Latvia, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Senegal are only a few examples of democratic governments that have outpaced many autocratic regimes.'
Since the world's sole superpower is a democracy with the largest economy, highest standard of living, and the most powerful military, basically leading the world in many fields from science to technology, it stands to reason that democracy would be the better of all the political systems. We know that the American government, through elected officials, is ruled by the people (with liberty and justice for all) . And because of being the world's sole democratic superpower, scrupulous observation has found democracy to be the most desirable because it has been proven to be veritable and superior to even the most successful autocratic governments (such as those of Saudi Arabia or the U. A.E.) . Most important, democracy has proven to be better than autocracy especially when dealing with weak and developing countries and their issues of human rights, inequality, representation and participation in the government and the decision making process if only through elected officials.

"In the literature on political development, democracy has been one of the key conditions. A democratic regime has an intrinsic value in itself, because its political norms cherish the active participation of the people in government. Moreover, democratic states meet certain criteria of political decency, such as the institutionalization of human rights, which are considered to be intrinsically valuable in international law as well as in several constitutions." (Lane, Ersson p.111)

than authoritarian, which is firmly committed to maintaining or restoring traditional structures and values and (much less than) totalitarian - which is committed to a radical ideology and program of political, economic and social change. (Allan Todd p.12) But in practice many of these countries resemble more of an autocratic style of government which usually becomes, over time, much more apparent than the country's top elite group of cult leaders would like to admit. Most autocratic regimes have a number of problems internally as well as internationally due to autocracy.

Henceforth, the manifestation of these problems appear either socially as riots and civil disobedience, unemployment, and lack of even basic health care services or economically where foreign aid and assistance must be administered from IGOs such as the World Bank and IMF; subsequently leading to conditionality and reform for continued financial support. Usually assistance from those IGOs means that the government has come close to the verge of collapse and has few if any contingencies other than meeting the demands of outsiders for their support (the WB, IMF and WTO)

"There is a crisis of governance in a large number of weak, imporvished states and the crisis poses a serious threat to U.S. national security... the kind of weakness that has allowed opium production to skyrocket in Afghanistan, the small arms trade to flourish throughout Central Asia, and al Qaeda to exploit Somalia and Pakistan as staging grounds for attacks." (Eizenstat et al. p.134)
It is agreed upon that having a state (whether weak or not) fall under the heavy influence of the drug cartels and terrorist organization which will cost the U.S. and the world much more over time due to exported terrorism, the social costs that will arise from drug sells, usage and corruption of the government as a consequence of those vices rather than aiding them in trying to find alternative ways to create jobs and wealth for their citizens.

Even in the midst of transition from an autocratic to a democratic state, although still imporvished, the democratic state will do as good as if not better than an autocratic run state, both immediately and in the long run; the Dominican Republic, India, Latvia, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Senegal are only a few examples of democratic governments that have outpaced many autocratic regimes.
"The terms "weak" and "failed" are frustratingly imprecise. Being poor, for example, does not necessarily make a country "weak". Of the worlds' more than 70 low-income nations, about 50 of them excluding well-armed hostile nations such as North Korea are weak in a way that threatens U.S. and international security." (Eizenstat et al. p 58,59)

Therefore if America is to help ensure the worlds' as well as its own security at a reasonable cost to everyone, America must continue giving assistance, not only in times of crisis but consistently to developed democracies as well as developing democracies trying to make the transition from an autocratic form of government as a sign of confidence and support to a democratic system that has been proven the better between it and any variation of autocracy.

"A government that was established on the principle of regarding the welfare of the people in the same way that a father regards his children's welfare, i.e., a paternal government (imperium paternale) - where the subjects, like immature children unable to distinguish between what is truly useful or harmful to them, would be compelled merely to behave passively, merely to await the judgment of the nation's head as to how they ought to be happy, and merely to expect his goodness in also willing it - such a government is the worst despotism we can think of (a constitution that subverts all the freedom of the subjects, who would have no freedom whatsoever) . Not a paternal but a patriotic government (imperium no paternale, sed patrioticum) is the only one thinkable for men who are capable of having rights, and the only one thinkable for a benevolent ruler.
(Kant (translated by Humphrey p.73))

Democracy has helped weak, imporvished and developing states move forward economically, politically and socially, in the area of human rights, a higher standard of living and in many more vital aspects of society; and when compared to all other regimes, especially autocracy, it has by many, been considered to be the best.