VOA常速英语2008年-Critics Warn Democracy Cannot Be Imposed

By Brian Padden
Washington, D.C.
07 April 2008

Intervention¹ advocates say peacefully resolving disputes and establishing a democratic form of government are key to creating a stable, prosperous society. But critics warn that democracy cannot be imposed upon a country. VOA's Brian Padden reports on how the international community is trying to use soft power, education and assistance programs to change hearts and minds.

In the Kurdish city of Irbil, Chilura Hardi recently organized an outdoor art exhibit that focused on violence against women in the region. It is a crime she says that in the past often went unreported.

"This is a different day and maybe we should look at changing these kinds of things," she said.

Hardi heads a Kurdish women's center in Irbil that operates a call-in radio station, run by, and for women. International aid organizations fund the station. Failed states expert Pauline Baker³ with the Fund for Peace says these kinds of programs can a help the Kurdish region heal from years of war.

"If you can start developing a rule of law environment where people can redress⁴ those grievances⁵ through civilian⁶ institutions and be able to vent² those grievances and get redress and remedy, then I think reconciliation⁷ will come down the road," Baker said.

Baker says after establishing security and rebuilding the economy, recovering states need to promote the rule of law and democracy in order to remain stable and secure. In Sierra Leone for example, international organizations worked in the background to support elections and the rule of law. Marie-Anne Isler, the European Union's chief observer during Sierra Leone's elections last year, says the peaceful transfer of power is the first test of a new democracy.

"That is really a new step, to accept the results. And maybe some of the political parties, they are not prepared for accepting the result. And that is the step of democracy, " Isler said.

The U.N.'s Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jane Holl Lute⁸, says peaceful change also requires long-term commitment.

"Long after the headlines have faded, and long after perhaps all the attention was mobilized around the crisis and the fighting, but really the hard work of rebuilding in the aftermath of conflict need to go on for the 10 to 20 year period of time," Lute said.

Even some nation-building critics such as the Cato Institute's Christopher Preble support using money and expertise⁹ to influence, rather than using military might to impose democracy.

"I don't believe that the U.S. government is in a position to dictate¹⁰ or plan that process," Preble said. "Those kinds of institutions and norms develop over many years time and it is something that must be grown from within and not imposed from without."

Supporting fair elections does not always produce friendlier governments. The Palestinian elections in 2006 and more recently those in Pakistan rejected leaders more aligned¹¹ with U.S. foreign policy. But these democracy supporters say elected governments are more likely to peacefully disagree.

1 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

2 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

3 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

4 redress   

n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除

参考例句：

• He did all that he possibly could to redress the wrongs.他尽了一切努力革除弊端。
• Any man deserves redress if he has been injured unfairly.任何人若蒙受不公平的损害都应获得赔偿。

5 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

8 lute   

n.琵琶，鲁特琴

参考例句：

• He idly plucked the strings of the lute.他漫不经心地拨弄着鲁特琴的琴弦。
• He knows how to play the Chinese lute.他会弹琵琶。

9 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

10 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

11 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。