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Christopher Hill writes: What America doesn't understand about Democracy
"It’s not easy for a country to embrace the chaos of democracy. It’s especially not easy because people who try to introduce democratic reforms are often people who have to bear the responsibilities but also the consequences when sometimes things don’t go well." Christopher R. Hill, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon.
Christopher Hill writes: What America doesn't understand about Democracy
Welcome to My World, Barack
What the World Needs Now Is . . . Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice contemplates the state of the world — past, present and future.
Interviews by HELENE COOPER and SCOTT L. MALCOMSON
Published: November 13, 2008
[Excerpt]
WHAT AMERICA DOESN’T UNDERSTAND ABOUT DEMOCRACY.
It’s not easy for a country to embrace the chaos of democracy. It’s especially not easy because people who try to introduce democratic reforms are often people who have to bear the responsibilities but also the consequences when sometimes things don’t go well.
So one should be careful about giving advice and not having to deal with the consequences of that advice. . . .
I have no doubt that democracy is the best form of government. I’m very optimistic that it is one whose reach is increasing throughout the world. I would just urge all Americans to understand how our advice is taken. And to be careful how we offer advice.
For many people in the world, they look at America, and they see an enormous country with an extraordinary amount of power. Pure power. And so they feel that asymmetry immediately as soon as they meet us. So we have to understand how people look at us sometimes. So advice coming from a country with enormous power can be taken wrongly.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: November, 2008; RPCV Christopher Hill (Cameroon); Figures; Peace Corps Cameroon; Directory of Cameroon RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Cameroon RPCVs; Diplomacy; Rhode Island
When this story was posted in December 2008, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
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