Should nations be able to remove governments to install friendly democracies?

[gogf]

Is it immoral for Western democracies to remove governments in order to install a democracy? The rationalization for the West to do this is that a democracy may have a better relationship with us than a hostile regime, particularly after we liberate their country.

Is this a win-win situation for both countries, or the meddling in the business of others?

[Barnabas]

I think only the super evil ones, like North Korea or Burma, I supported the Afghanistan invasion because of the super evilness of the talibans.

The evil but not so evil, I think shouldnt be invaded.

[Thedrin]

The rationalization for the West to do this is that a democracy may have a better relationship with us than a hostile regime

Rationalisation indeed. If you invade another country with the aim of installing a friendly government then you'd better install a strong-man dictator who derives his domestic authority from your friendship. The dictator's best chance of maintaining power is to persue policies that are kind to you. If you install a democracy there is no guarantee that the citizens and democratic government will be friendly towards the invaders.

[Barnabas]

Zimbabwe = super evil

I had forgotten Zimbabwe

[gogf]

Originally posted by Thedrin


Rationalisation indeed. If you invade another country with the aim of installing a friendly government then you'd better install a strong-man dictator who derives his domestic authority from your friendship. The dictator's best chance of maintaining power is to persue policies that are both kind to you and appease enough of his subjects. If you install a democracy there is no guarantee that the citizens and democratic government will be friendly towards the invaders.

That's not the scenario, though. You install a democracy because it will be more friendly to you than Kin Jong Il and nobody can claim imperialism when you install a democracy.

[joncha]

And Denmark.

Denmark = super evil

[Thedrin]

The scenario. Invade an unfriendly nation and replace its government with a democratic one to turn it into a friendly nation.

I've given (in the last sentence of my previous post) the reason why I think its a bad idea. My diversion into installing a dictator is merely how I think the desired aim (a more friendly government) can be more easily achieved.

What would you do if the government of the unfriendly country is already a democracy?

[Zkribbler]

Removing a country's goverment -- even if it is evil -- is a great way of stoking the flames of nationalism, turning the people against you, and making sure that, if a democracy is install, it will not be friendly to you.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
Removing a country's goverment -- even if it is evil -- is a great way of stoking the flames of nationalism, turning the people against you, and making sure that, if a democracy is install, it will not be friendly to you.

Are we removing Germany and Japan from this scenario?

[DaShi]

What? Can't they see that my country knows what's best for them?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Are we removing Germany and Japan from this scenario?

We let Japan keep their Emperor.

It wasn't us that got rid of Hitler. For along time, he just disappeared because the Russians concealed the facts that Hitler had committed suicide when they stormed Berlin.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by joncha
And Denmark.

Denmark = super evil

QFMFT

[Perfection]

Only if it actually works.

[gogf]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


We let Japan keep their Emperor.

But he had no authority.

It wasn't us that got rid of Hitler. For along time, he just disappeared because the Russians concealed the facts that Hitler had committed suicide when they stormed Berlin.

Well, we didn't kill Hitler, but we certainly "got rid of him" for all intents and purposes.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


We let Japan keep their Emperor.

It wasn't us that got rid of Hitler. For along time, he just disappeared because the Russians concealed the facts that Hitler had committed suicide when they stormed Berlin.

I can't believe you bit, Zkrib; the Germany/Japan analogy so beloved of neocons is historically absurd.

Specifically, it's absurd because, in WWII, one country attacked us and the other declared war on us shortly thereafter. It's not like we unilaterally invaded them in 1937 because we didn't like where things seemed to be going. There is no moral equivalence between our fight with the Axis and the scenario proposed in the OP.