This week on CNN's "State of the Union", former ambassador and Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte made a statement that I think clarifies the Bush administration and the Republican attitude fairly well. In commenting on the situation in Egypt, he said this:
"I think it's the role of governance to try and introduce a measure of moderation into these kinds of situations. The street is not the government. The street is not democracy. Let's not forget that."
It does make sense, if you think about it, that a Republican does not know where democracy comes from. The only place that democracy can come from, the only place that democracy truly resides is on "the street". It is the voice of the people rising from the street to demand liberty, to demand a say in how their country is lead, to demand their rights as humans.
No Mr. Negroponte, democracy is the street. That is where it started in America and where it will take root around the world. American can't force the issue, no government can. Democracy will come from the will of the people, when they are ready. The best thing America can do is to make sure that when people are ready, they have an excellent example to follow to make it work. If we are going to promote democracy around the world we ought to perfect our own union first.
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