Democracy originates from within

                             and Newt admits the folly of his ways

Democracy originates in a variety of ways, but one component is consistent: Democracy originates with the people, at the grass roots, often resulting in a revolution like that of our forefathers in the American Revolution. Tired of the autocratic directives of King George, the colonists revolted, and we can thank them for their gift to us.

Democracy cannot be imposed, as the U.S. tried to do in Iraq. That "democracy" did not come from the grass roots, despite the horrendous autocracy and brutality of Saddam Hussein. 

Bush and Co attempted to overthrow Saddam, and then impose a Jeffersonian Democracy in a land that cannot follow such a libertarian concept. As a result, the country will eventually fall into another civil war that will allow one of the groups: Shiites, Sunni, and Kurds, to emerge as the autocracy.

The attempt to impose democracy has been a multi-trillion dollar albatross that still drags down our economy.

However, one of the "Neocons" that led the battle cry to depose Saddam now admits that it has failed. Newt Gingrich admitted that his idea had failed. 

According to the Washington Times, "Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a leading neoconservative hawk and staunch supporter of Israel, says the U.S. military interventions he has long supported to promote democracy in the Middle East and elsewhere have backfired and need to be re-evaluated.

“I am a neoconservative. But at some point, even if you are a neoconservative, you need to take a deep breath to ask if our strategies in the Middle East have succeeded.”
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/4/newt-gingrich-rethinks-neoconservative-views/>

My only response, "Duh."

Egypt is probably one country in the Middle East that could handle democracy, but it is completely destabilized right now. It may become a democratic nation, but it will need a group to take control other than the military, which appears to be the future now. 

Newt and Co. are finally admitting the folly of that escapade, but do not admit how much of the national deficit is directly the result of Iraq and Afghanistan, which cannot handle democracy either. 

I despised Saddam, but we did not have the right to overthrown him without a just cause. No WMDs, no tie to bin Laden. Pope John Paul was the one person who opposed the war in his waning years. 

This will haunt the U.S. for the better part of the next century. We have lost our moral standing in the world, and Obama is not helping matters with his Afghan policy and the NSA spying nonsense. That is illegal, and must be stopped.