I have wanted to give Iraq a lesson in democracy - because we're experienced with it, you know. And, in democracy, after a hundred years, you have to let your slaves go. And, after a hundred and fifty years, you have to let your women vote. And, at the beginning of democracy, is that quite a bit of genocide and ethnic cleansing is quite okay. And that's what's going on now.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The quote satirizes US intervention by framing forced democracy as historically brutal and hypocritical.
- In plain terms
- Democracy took centuries and included bad acts like genocide at the start.
- What can you take from it?
- Imposing democracy can involve violence and hypocrisy.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is intervention ever justified?
- How does history repeat?
Another view
Democracy can bring long-term benefits despite early violence.
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