Stability and Democracy

This morning on NPR's Morning Edition, Condaleeza Rice echoed Benjamin Franklin: "People in the Middle East rightly understand that for sixty years the United States, and many others, tried to trade stability for democracy, and we got neither stability nor democracy, and it's not surprising to me that there are resentments about that period of time." She's wrong in her details: The Cold War did provide stability in the world, albeit an extremely tense stability, and it didn't begin to shift until the USSR started to fall apart. However, she's correct that we were trading democracy for that stability, cozying up to strong men and despots around the world (Saddam Hussein was but one of many) to buffer us from the Soviet Union. It's always reassuring to hear the Bush Administration spout these bromides about democracy and freedom. I'm not sure I trust their sincerity, but it never hurts to keep these sentiments front and center so we don't forget them. Benjamin Franklin's actual quote--roughly 250 years old--is, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." It's usually used in reference to domestic issues (and the Patriot Act in particular), but it's a good thought to keep in mind in foreign affairs, as well.