democracy by force

Interesting to look at the BBC site telling us about how we're in Iraq to bring democracy. Buried in a story about Iraqi prisoners escaping from British jail near Basra is this line

A security source told the agency that the prisoners had been held without charge for the past two years.

The escape was the headline, whereas surely the fact that we're keeping people prisoner for years on end without charge is far more important. A British government that condemns Guantanamo Bay is doing precisely the same thing itself.

Three days later comes another story telling us

Iraqis are still showing resilience, with substantial support for democracy

What would you say was substantial support for democracy in the UK? Say, 95% and above? Would we feel that we 'substantially supported' democracy if most of us didn't want it?

In Iraq support is 43% (and falling). A majority of Iraqis don't want it even if we were delivering it. It's only marginally less in favour of a 'strong leader' appointed 'for life' (34%, and rising).

The same poll shows there is at least one thing a majority of Iraqis support.

The number of Iraqis who approve of attacks on coalition troops has risen from 17% in a similar survey three years ago to 51% now.