Asymmetrical Information

I would be more impressed if the president had lost the election and then surrendered power peaceably.

Also I believe as in Iran only candidates acceptable to the ruling clique are allowed to run.

Where does Algeria rank on those lists of how free countries are?

Of course, earlier in Algeria's history, the second round of the January 1992 elections were cancelled by the military when it became obvious the Islamic party would win.

Great if it continues, but since we just helped J.B. Aristide (only the second democratically elected president of Haiti) flee his country, you might not want to put too much weight on Algeria as proof of concept.

By the way, when did Republicans become naive and Dems cold-eyed realists? Was there a memo?

"There is only one cure for the evils which newly acquired freedom produces; and that cure is freedom. When a prisoner first leaves his cell he cannot bear the light of day: he is unable to discriminate colors, or recognize faces. But the remedy is not to remand him into his dungeon, but to accustom him to the rays of the sun. The blaze of truth and liberty may at first dazzle and bewilder nations which have become half blind in the house of bondage. But let them gaze on, and they will soon be able to bear it.... Many politicians of our time are in the habit of laying down as a self-evident proposition, that no people ought to be free till they are fit to use their freedom. The maxim is worthy of the fool in the old story who resolved not to go into the water till he had learnt to swim. If men are to wait for liberty till they become wise and good in slavery, they may indeed wait for ever."

We classical liberal types should read more Macaulay.

Also, the govt spent the last decade fighting an UNCOMPRIMISING AND UNYIELDING battle against the Islamists who tried to hijack the original elections. I remember the left at the time in an uproar..."military dictatorship going against the will of the people, blah blah". to

"Great if it continues, but since we just helped J.B. Aristide (only the second democratically elected president of Haiti) flee his country, you might not want to put too much weight on Algeria as proof of concept."

Haiti is Islamic? Must have missed that memo.

Sure, Haiti has had a simmering brushfire conflict off and on for some time. But I'm not ready to label it as "war torn" just yet.

James

james, I think "tried to hijack" should read "won".

I have recently seen Mauritania ranked as the most democratic Arab country.
Second place was Somalia, of all places.

Algeria is certainly not what I would call all the way there. My point was rather that a country that suffered a military coup ten years ago, and election fraud only five years ago, has now had a transparent election, even as government repression has eased. That's a pretty big step. My commenters are, of course, correct that the real test will be when the ruling party loses. Still, it's a good sign. Remember, Chile had Pinochet not that long ago -- and not long after that, people were arguing that Latin America was just culturally unsuited to Democracy, can't happen there, no way, no how . . . those little brown people just don't value freedom the way we do. Democracy is happening in Latin America, and I firmly believe it can happen other places. When you think of how few people were living in any sort of democracy in 1945, we've really come an amazingly long way. A little more patience is in order.

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