Can Democracy Thrive in the Middle East?

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There was no and there is no history of democracy in the Middle East, but repression, despotism, harassment, and humiliation. This is unfortunately a fact. There was not and there is not electing sovereign people in Arab-Islamic polities, but authoritarian rule and patrimonial leadership, in which the people has no influence whatsoever on the decision making process. Again, this is unfortunately a fact. All Arab and Muslim states are very far away from democracy. Authoritarianism and patrimonialism assures this is the case. Elections, constitutions, parliaments, even multi-partisan system is no guaranty to democracy. All totalitarian states had these ingredients, and the Soviet Union, so experts say, had the most open democratic and liberal constitution. And? In the Middle East there are no elections but plebiscites; constitutions are not implemented but give ultimate power to the ruler and legitimize his personalist rule; parliaments have no political power and are not taken as a force in the decision-making processes; and except of the ruling party, all other parties are harassed, oppressed and cannot yield power. Again, this is unfortunately a fact.   
         
Mussadegh rule in Iran, also indeed toppled down by the CIA, was authoritarian and no less despotic – any book on Modern Iran details this, and Algeria from the 1992 is one of the many cases of Arab-Islamic polity of anarchy, chaos and wars against all. Another sad fact: your so-called "democratic government" is the FIS, the radical Islamic movement now aligning itself with al-Qaeda. And just a wonder, please: are you sure that this "democratic government was replaced by a military junta supported by France and given political blessings by our (US!) government"? [my emphasis].

The really sad facts are that in the 20th century Arab and Muslims have killed at least 14 million other Arabs and Muslims. In Algeria, the period of time you mention, there are almost 200,000 victims in this civil war. The countdown of only the last week (August 2008) is more than 100 victims in two terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda domestic Islamic groups. In Pakistan, for the last week, after Musharraf resigned, there are hundreds of victims out of the Mujahidin terrorist attacks.    

However, the most important approach exposed here is the cultural trait: a) always attack and never admits faults; b) externalize the guilt: do I have a problem? You are guilty! c) I am always innocent and righteous and you are problem; and d) never take responsibility, and by that the result is never redress oneself.