Will democracy ever develop in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Will democracy ever develop in Iraq - Essay Example However, there is also considerable number of those politicians and scholars whom believe the task of achieving democracy might be too difficult or even impossible for Iraq. Experts list a number of factors that prevent Iraq from becoming a democratic country, at least in the short-term. For example, Marine General Anthony Zinni, who was the Head of U.S. Central Command from 1997 to 2000 made the following statement on the probability of establishing democracy in Iraq: â€Å"If we think there is a fast solution to changing the governance of Iraq, then we don’t understand history, the nature of the country, the divisions, or the underneath suppressed passions that could rise up. God help us if we think this transition will occur easily. The attempts I’ve seen to install democracy in short periods of time where there is no history and no roots have failed. Take it back to Somalia (Zinni, 2002 cited in Dodge, 2003, p.157). This opinion of the person who was directly involved in the process of democratization of Iraq are supported by many scholars and political experts. Adam Garfinkle, a famous Middle East political expert, also holds the opinion that establishing democracy in the country is an immensely difficult task, while any attempt to fulfill it will not only result in failure but will also lead to the growth of anti-American spirit in the Arab world (Garfinkle, 2003). The pessimism that currently exists in relation to the possibility of establishing democracy in Iraq relies on the assumption that the country does not have any favorable conditions for democratic transformation. This means that not only social and economic prerequisites such as numerous middle class, serious economic opportunities, good system of education and other are not there but also that the traditional political culture contradicts the democratic norms and values. As is well known, â€Å"democracy† is taken from Ð ° Greek word which means government of the people, by