Tailmon wrote:
Probably the biggest fear in the Islamic world is the word Democracy. Most Islamic country's are Totalitarian. We may be seeing a giant change in the world here. No change to Democracy has been really bloodless. I expect that it may be nasty in many places when it happens.
Except for in Australia.
The British colonisation of the continent of Australia certainly went in for a lot of Aborigine exterminations, as they were unhappy about being conquered. This is our great shame. However for the (mostly white) majority The gradual change from being run by Autocratic Governers General (Proxies for the British Monarch), to limited democratic parliaments, to further/wider democratic representation of one man, one vote (instead of lone landowner, one vote), to the first ever votes for women in the world, to the unification of the various colonies into the Nation of Australia, were all accomplished without revolution or fighting.
Instead they happened gradually through political discourse, rallying speeches, town meetings, and the willingness of the people in power in the end to see that it was common sense and fairness to let the majority have what they wanted in the way of voting and representation. Admittedly art of that was in coming behind the French and American revolutions of the 1700s, and seeing which way the winds were blowing. But Australia was first ever to vote a nation into existence, and give votes to women decades ahead of most of the rest of the world.
Wow, brain really deteriorating. I shouldn't post anything serious any more.
Edited, Feb 7th 2011 6:39am by Aripyanfar