Path: utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!cognos!crcmar!steve From: steve@crcmar.crc.uucp (Steve Ardron) Newsgroups: can.politics Subject: Re: Clark's speech to CIC; frontline states Message-ID: <643@crcmar.crc.uucp> Date: 30 Mar 88 15:19:20 GMT Article-I.D.: crcmar.643 Posted: Wed Mar 30 10:19:20 1988 References: <3173@hcr.UUCP> Organization: CRC, Ottawa CANADA Lines: 37 From article <3173@hcr.UUCP>, by jimr@hcr.UUCP (Jim Robinson): > It's beginning to look like there is an economic law which states that > a nation's economy will only flourish in the long run under a > democratic system of government. Hungary was a counter-example but even > that country is now experiencing problems. So, as for encouraging the > frontline states with their one party rule and dictators-for-life to > develop their own economies, I can only say good luck. > > J.B. Robinson I think it's the reverse. Most countries that have strong economies have fairly enlightened populaces, and so can have effective democracies. There are many democracies that don't have great economies, and I can think of another, very prominent, counter examle to your statement, South Africa. That nation has an extremely strong economy, and could hardly be called a democracy. Also, how about Saudi Arabia? or any of the other Persian Gulf monarchies. It certainly helps you along to have a few resources. I seem to remember that Monaco has the highest standard of living in the world (this was a couple o' years ago), and it's a monarchy to. Maybe we should give the Queen more power? abolish the Magna Carta :-) One big problem with both Canadian and American aid is that they have this nasty habit of spreading nuclear power around. Many nations now have nuclear weapons because of these two nations. One thing that can be said about Russia is that they don't proliferate nukes. The only East aligned nation with nukes is India, and it only because Canada gave them to it. Would South Africa hesitate to use it's nukes if the other African nations invaded? Would Israel think about using it's nukes if the Arabs tried to drive it into the sea again? (both these nations havn't been proven to have nukes, but they have the potential to make them, and considering their character, probably have) How about Pakistan? Thow Pakistan doesn't have missiles, it does have nuclear warheads, and bombers still do the job. Really, something should be done, if not to correct it, then to prevent it getting worse. Is there any way to correct it? Stevie.