Learning Democracy

I've repeatedly written that we need to have patience with the Arab world in striving for democracy.

The Arab Spring isn't a switch to flip that creates democracy. Indeed, while the yearning for democracy is real, having lived under nothing like democracy, the people of the Middle East need our help (or Europe's or South Korea's or India's or Japan's)  to understand just what democracy is, and why rule of law is such a vital component of freedom.

It isn't easy, after all.

Even here, we have militias that engage in street violence who don't really understand what democracy looks like.

Yeah, according to our media, thuggery is always descending on the Tea Party. But it only seems to land on the left, whether the Occupy fools or union "rallies."

Striving for democracy isn't easy. And you can never assume the struggle is over. Or lose heart when it takes longer to achieve.