smooth

I think that democracy is more accurately described as everyone saying their piece, everyone votes, the majority wins, then the group does what the majority decided. However, the majority should not chastise the minority voters for expressing their opinions--that would suppress and tarnish the democratic process.

Now, in this case, a sovereign nation did not agree with our standpoint, didn't see the world affairs the same way we did, and listened to the majority of its citizens. To castigate the country for a difference of opinion is not following the tenets of democracy--it's following the Bush line of "those not with us are against us." Whether you agree with that sentiment or not is immaterial to it not resembling democratic ideals.

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"The theory of a free press is that truth will emerge from free discussion, not that it will be presented perfectly and instantly in any one account." -- Walter Lippmann

"You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists." -- Abbie Hoffman