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Augustine Akwasi Appiah Ak

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Non-democratic system and democracy for development.

Which brings development? In view of the above

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Topics: Authoritarianism Economic Growth democracy
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  • Louise Nelson

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    Nov 5 2012: My idea is that you can't build an economy that raises the general standard of living from the top down any more than you can build a house from the roof down. Human beings just don't let go of power or wealth when they get their hands on those resources, and I've never heard of a dictator who took over control of a country with military might then built a democratic government, and then retired to go live as an ordinary citizen on a small pension. It may have happened but it's certainly not common.

    In my opinion building a democratic society needs the participation of a majority of the people of that society. They need to discuss, argue, build consensus about acceptable rules to live together in harmony - or at least with mutual respect, and be very stingy about what power and control of wealth is given to political and military leaders. This process can take decades at the minimum.

    Perhaps the United Nations can grow into an organization that builds coalitions of NGO's and other institutions/organizations/people/countries to help guide less developed countries into more developed ones - with each country having a master plan taylored to their specific situation to help that country develop the human, infrastructure, and economic resources needed there to make a basis for successful self rule and widespread increases in the standard of living. There would have to be strict limits on what economic benefits outsiders can reap for their work and *very* strict rules about gradually withdrawing their organizations' presence as the people of that country grow more able to build governing entities, starting at the village level and gradually expanding to higher levels of coordinating government entities that guide the development of the infrastructures of education, healthcare, and economic resources.

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