FARK.com: (6668921) While Americans are still arguing amongst themselves over whether they think muslims are sophisticated enough to handle democracy, Tunisia just held their first actual free election

		While Americans are still arguing amongst themselves over whether they think muslims are sophisticated enough to handle democracy, Tunisia just held their first actual free election (reuters.com)		85
		More: Spiffy, Arab Spring, free elections, Tunisia, Prime Minister of Turkey, mass protests, secularists, Tunis, democracy

• • •

798 clicks; posted to Politics » on 23 Oct 2011 at 3:16 PM | Favorite | share:

more» |

Get this fabulous T-Shirt and impress the methane out of your friends!

shirt it!

Share this link:

URL:

http://fk.cm/go/6668921

Bookmark:

Article Comments close

85 Comments (+0 »)

First | « | 1 | 2 | » | Last | Show all

make me some tea

2011-10-23 12:03:51 PM

something something muslim brotherhood al qaeda shebaabgarbl

BunkyBrewman

2011-10-23 12:14:01 PM

We're not arguing among ourselves

There's just a very small minority of people who won't shut the fark up about anything. They hear their favorite talking head say something and repeat it verbatim. I'd go so far to say they're simply "parrots", but I don't want to infer that these people are the on the same intellectual level as a birdbrain.

make me some tea

2011-10-23 12:15:32 PM

BunkyBrewman: I'd go so far to say they're simply "parrots", but I don't want to infer that these people are the on the same intellectual level as a birdbrain.

I see what you did there.

supichoo

2011-10-23 12:24:30 PM

BunkyBrewman: I'd go so far to say they're simply "parrots"

Ouch, what do you have against parrots?

TimonC346

2011-10-23 12:28:30 PM

Go Tunisia! Haters gonna hate.

Bagelox-99

2011-10-23 01:23:11 PM

American political discourse is determined by a. profit-driven mdia news cycles or b. crazy out-of-touch internet wharrgarbl. How does a free election in Tunisia register with either? a. has forgotten where Tunisia is and b. probably thinks it's the world's leading processor of tuna, or maybe an r&b singer.

Bagelox-99

2011-10-23 01:24:38 PM

News cycles, of course, originate in the media. Not the mdia, which I think might be some kind of club drug.

Occam's Chainsaw

2011-10-23 01:32:37 PM

Bagelox-99: News cycles, of course, originate in the media.

I'd take it a step further. Most news cycles are crafted in the halls of the propaganda divisions of megacorps and ideological groupings. The remainder is inanity skimmed from the ADD-addled gestalt ego of society and has all the significance of a fart in a hurricane.

Bagelox-99

2011-10-23 01:39:39 PM

Newsletter?

ovnothing

2011-10-23 02:11:28 PM

well there were democratic elections in Iran during 1953, but the CIA overthrew those.

Schadenfreude ist die schoenste Freude

2011-10-23 02:27:53 PM

ovnothing: well there were democratic elections in Iran during 1953, but the CIA overthrew those.

No, no, that was "freedom helping".

And maybe Tunisia holding free elections will counter Libya's inevitable slip into theocracy thanks to the newly announced "Sharia law for everybody" policy by the transitional leader.

Weaver95

2011-10-23 02:59:15 PM

obviously, they pirated their democracy from the US (probably got it off bit torrent or soemthing). so the GOP wants to sue them for copyright infringement.

CitizenTed

2011-10-23 02:59:24 PM

Well, if the Carthaginians get too uppity we can always send Scipio Aemilianus to straighten their asses out.

/don't make us get all Punic on your ass!

simplicimus

2011-10-23 03:07:34 PM

CitizenTed: Well, if the Carthaginians get too uppity we can always send Scipio Aemilianus to straighten their asses out.

/don't make us get all Punic on your ass!

Apparently we have to worry about those pesky Persians.

brap

2011-10-23 03:14:36 PM

Are Americans sophisticated enough to handle democracy?

simplicimus

2011-10-23 03:18:32 PM

brap: Are Americans sophisticated enough to handle democracy?

No, that's why we have a Republic.

badhatharry

2011-10-23 03:19:17 PM

Woohoo! Sharia for everyone! This is what democracy looks like!

MFAWG

2011-10-23 03:22:01 PM

badhatharry: Woohoo! Sharia for everyone! This is what democracy looks like!

Actually, it is. That's why we don't have direct democracy here or in most of Western Europe.

Sgt. Pepper

2011-10-23 03:22:01 PM

I heard that the frontrunner was actually born in Hawaii.

Hellbound

2011-10-23 03:23:06 PM

They can handle democracy. they just sometimes have a tendency to vote into power to most oppressive Islamic party they can find and the obvious follows.

I'm hoping it won't happen in Tunisia.

Spanky_McFarksalot

2011-10-23 03:23:08 PM

Just because a quarterback has a good game doesn't mean he can handle the pressure over a season.

/Football sunday, Go Pack!

badhatharry

2011-10-23 03:25:42 PM

MFAWG: badhatharry: Woohoo! Sharia for everyone! This is what democracy looks like!

Actually, it is. That's why we don't have direct democracy here or in most of Western Europe.

Yep. To protect from the tyranny of the majority. Sometimes the majority are idiots.

Gobobo

2011-10-23 03:30:27 PM

Elections? In Tunisia we'll shortly have the leader of the West's choice.

Britney Spear's Speculum

2011-10-23 03:33:39 PM

We have free elections in America all the time.

www.beezodogsplace.com

Gyrony

2011-10-23 03:36:01 PM

simplicimus: brap: Are Americans sophisticated enough to handle democracy?

No, that's why we have a Republic.

Well, technically speaking it's a Democratic Republic...

Yukon Callmeal

2011-10-23 03:36:49 PM

And elected someone who will ensure they never again have free elections. And will stone women who show leg.

BravadoGT

2011-10-23 03:37:00 PM

And it's an Islamist party sweeps into power. Wonderful. I'm sure they won't eliminate the democrat process as soon as they have the opportunity.

MFAWG

2011-10-23 03:37:44 PM

Britney Spear's Speculum: We have free elections in America all the time.

[www.beezodogsplace.com image 600x447]

www.votefraud.org

refudiate

2011-10-23 03:39:05 PM

Turkey gave women the vote before America did.

Three muslim countries had women democratically elected to power during the 80s & 90s: Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey. All three have substantial conservative muslim populations. Democratically elected female politicians.

America hasn't had a single woman elected leader. Neither has Britain (the 'lady' part of 'lady Thatcher' has yet to be affirmed, unconfirmed sources suggest 'she' is actually a shape-shifting lizard, part of a generational lineage of 13 different lizard clans -- or so David Icke fans suggest. I'd buy that, before accepting that she was a woman.)

the Gaza strip had a 'free and fair' election that led to Hamas surging to power, and America has had trouble acknowledging that free and fair elections may mean that 'people we don't like' may be elected. Oh, and the 'end of history' may not mean a 'new American century' of free market democracy. Good luck with that.

James F. Campbell

2011-10-23 03:42:33 PM

Bagelox-99: or maybe an r&b singer

home.comcast.net

Weaver95

2011-10-23 03:42:45 PM

Yukon Callmeal: And elected someone who will ensure they never again have free elections. And will stone women who show leg.

i'll bet guys like that have brain meltdowns when they see what they can find by using google...

Spanky_McFarksalot

2011-10-23 03:51:12 PM

refudiate: Turkey gave women the vote before America did.

well, Turkey allowed it first in 1930 for local elections and 1934 for national elections. America allowed the first in 1920.

so, not so much.

haywatchthis

2011-10-23 03:55:59 PM

afghaiastan has pakistans back if the us wants to start some shiat biatch the middle east are the aristocrats

Public Call Box

2011-10-23 03:55:59 PM

simplicimus: CitizenTed: Well, if the Carthaginians get too uppity we can always send Scipio Aemilianus to straighten their asses out.

/don't make us get all Punic on your ass!

Apparently we have to worry about those pesky Persians.

What about those darn Etruscans?

Somacandra

2011-10-23 03:57:44 PM

Spanky_McFarksalot: well, Turkey allowed it first in 1930 for local elections and 1934 for national elections. America allowed the first in 1920.

Actually women had the right to vote in Utah territory in the 1800's (new window) and Congress took it away from them as punishment for supporting Mormon polygyny. Wyoming gave women voting rights in 1869...Utah in 1870.

Dym

2011-10-23 03:59:42 PM

Holding an election is the easy part. Effectively running a country with the government that results, without properly developed institutions, is what is hard.

simplicimus

2011-10-23 04:01:06 PM

Public Call Box: simplicimus: CitizenTed: Well, if the Carthaginians get too uppity we can always send Scipio Aemilianus to straighten their asses out.

/don't make us get all Punic on your ass!

Apparently we have to worry about those pesky Persians.

What about those darn Etruscans?

A set of twins will handle them. And 300 SEALS should handle the Persians.

gameshowhost

2011-10-23 04:04:11 PM

Schadenfreude ist die schoenste Freude: "freedom helping"

I just had a Freedom Helping of M&Ms.

/unfortunately just plain ones
//peanut m&ms ftw

Somacandra

2011-10-23 04:05:06 PM

BravadoGT: I'm sure they won't eliminate the democrat process as soon as they have the opportunity.

i.imgur.com

I doubt it. The previous authoritarian asshat tried that and people eventually got tired of it.

RevCarter

2011-10-23 04:09:17 PM

Somacandra

2011-10-23 04:11:56 PM

Dym: Holding an election is the easy part. Effectively running a country with the government that results, without properly developed institutions, is what is hard.

i.imgur.com

Given that it took many decades, two different Constitutions and a Civil War with well over half a million dead people before the US managed to actually get its collective governmental shiat together, I'm willing to be pretty lenient judging others just joining the fray. But I'm quite willing to bet the historical amnesia of others in the thread will overshadow these simple facts.

Weaver95

2011-10-23 04:14:23 PM

Somacandra: Dym: Holding an election is the easy part. Effectively running a country with the government that results, without properly developed institutions, is what is hard.

[i.imgur.com image 640x459]

Given that it took many decades, two different Constitutions and a Civil War with well over half a million dead people before the US managed to actually get its collective governmental shiat together, I'm willing to be pretty lenient judging others just joining the fray. But I'm quite willing to bet the historical amnesia of others in the thread will overshadow these simple facts.

i'm telling ya, a lot of the GOP types believe that if a democracy isn't formed by the US then they believe it's not a 'real' democracy.

GraphicAddiction

2011-10-23 04:16:30 PM

Welcome to the 18th century, Tunisia!

Somacandra

2011-10-23 04:22:12 PM

Weaver95: i'm telling ya, a lot of the GOP types believe that if a democracy isn't formed by the US then they believe it's not a 'real' democracy.

True, but there's nothing that can be done about that. And the new Constitution and Assembly will probably reflect some Islamic flavor too--just like it takes a Jewish character in Israel, a Protestant dimension in the U.S, and a heavy secularist flavor in France. The old days of hypersecular pan-Arab Nasser-ism are probably discredited--since it led to these largely secular/socialist authoritarian leaders in the first place. Maybe they won't need any more Civil Wars to learn their lessons. Maybe they will.

Notabunny

2011-10-23 04:22:32 PM

If they don't elect a Republican, it's Obama's fault.

Shaggy_C

2011-10-23 04:23:16 PM

Actually, I would argue that it's Americans who are not sophisticated enough to handle democracy....

HotIgneous Intruder

2011-10-23 04:36:33 PM

If they don't elect someone the American government likes, it doesn't count.

mrshowrules

2011-10-23 04:42:56 PM

Shaggy_C: Actually, I would argue that it's Americans who are not sophisticated enough to handle democracy....

Canadians have better voter turn-out in municipal elections than Americans have in even Federal elections. That's not healthy.

make me some tea

2011-10-23 04:46:29 PM

brap: Are Americans sophisticated enough to handle democracy?

I have my doubts.

make me some tea

2011-10-23 04:48:53 PM

Hellbound: They can handle democracy. they just sometimes have a tendency to vote into power to most oppressive Islamic party they can find and the obvious follows.

I'm hoping it won't happen in Tunisia.

Tunisia, just looking at the videos of people voting, seems to be a pretty progressive, westernized populace. Many of them dress like Europeans, actually. Maybe that's anecdotal and I'm only looking at the cosmopolitan folks there, but I guess we'll see.

Displayed 50 of 85 comments

First | « | 1 | 2 | » | Last | Show all

Redisplay/refresh comments

This thread is closed to new comments.