Why does everything HAVE to be Democracy and Does Race play a factor in our foreign Policy?

Yep, race plays a role in foreign policy.

 

All I really know is that the white man screwed Africa over

How do you think the first African slaves were obtained? They were traded to the "white man" by their own tribal leaders.

I'm no expert on the history of black slavery...but I think the first ones to enslave black Africans were the Spaniards.

 

It was the Portugese who actually first started the African Slave Trade.

 

I stand corrected.

 

Sure, Napoleon was popularly elected, too. But, a democratically elected dictatorship is no longer a democracy.
A democracy requires freedom of speech and the press. Popular support is easy in a world of propaganda.
I don't think you're very familiar with the revolutions around 1848 if you claim that all governments in history were consentual.

 

Two points.

Colonisation did not destroy Africa. Africa was worse prior to colonosiation. Sure, it's iffy as to whether or not it is better to be worse but free from a foreign power, or to be better but a colony, but that's extraneous. The point is that African colonisation was not ALL bad: there were high points - i.e., the introduction of farming techniques, the laying of railways, the creation of governments and so on.

Another point, no one said that every country has to have democracy. Some people, like me, just say that it's the best thing - for every country. Democracy is vital to protecting human rights, and is also an extremely important factor in creating a workable (i.e., free market) economy. This is because the conditions for a workable economy (e.g., low taxation, low government intervention, etc.) generallh only occur in democracies. And while it might seem base to put economic interests at such a high pegging, a little thought would tell you that economic prosperity is necessary for the development of human rights, a stable state, and the eradication of poverty.

- Scarlet.

 

andakin:
Sure, Napoleon was popularly elected, too. But, a democratically elected dictatorship is no longer a democracy.
A democracy requires freedom of speech and the press. Popular support is easy in a world of propaganda.

Democracy as defined by dictionary.com:

1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2. A political or social unit that has such a government.
3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4. Majority rule.
5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.

Okay, so maybe Number 5 touches a little on freedom of speech/press. But nothing in the definitions imply that those freedoms are part of the definition of democracy.

I don't think you're very familiar with the revolutions around 1848 if you claim that all governments in history were consentual.

What I meant was that, with some exceptions, most governments that have lasted longer than a few years were tolerated by the citizenry, if not embraced. Democracies as we know it aren't meant to be loved by every citizen either. Take me, for example. I HATE our current government. But the reason why those politicians are there is because a majority of the country disagrees with me (or because some people decided to go and STEAL the election...but let's not get into that ).

TheScarletBanner:
Colonisation did not destroy Africa. Africa was worse prior to colonosiation. Sure, it's iffy as to whether or not it is better to be worse but free from a foreign power, or to be better but a colony, but that's extraneous. The point is that African colonisation was not ALL bad: there were high points - i.e., the introduction of farming techniques, the laying of railways, the creation of governments and so on.

I was thinking more along the lines of how Europeans arbitrarily drew borders without any regard to cultural concerns or tribal movements among the native peoples.