Democracy not for all?

In my last pessimistic post I explained why the West is not likely to lift very many fingers -- no more than two -- to assist the revolting Libyans. (Lifetime pct: .973.) Why is this?

Could it be that the Western powers (USA), former powers (UK) and wannabe powers (Canada) have finally realized that western concepts of freedom, democracy and human rights are not always applicable to other societies and other cultures?

In the last century, two Great Wars and a number of not-so-great wars have been fought -- are being fought still -- in the name of democracy etc. etc. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan -- those were all about democracy, right? And do the countries in and over whose land the wars were fought enjoy the blessings of freedom and democracy today?

As for Libya, be it remembered that the Marines first landed on the shores of Tripoli over two hundred years ago. That was during the little-remembered First Barbary Coast War. You can look it up. And have the Libyans been stampeding to the polls to exercise their democractic rights in the 205 years since then? Errr... no.

For over two centuries US forces have fought to preserve popular and representative governments in such bastions of democracy as Mexico (the Halls of Montezuma), Cuba ("Remember the Maine!"), and the Philippines ("Remember the Maine...again!").

According to S.L.A. Marshall's history of the Great War, about 10,000,000 men and women were killed -- allies and enemies counted together in death. More than 6,000,000 were crippled or invalided for life. The illusion was that all of humanity would profit by the great lesson. But did it?

To answer the question, consider the last verse of Willie McBride, sometimes known as No Man's Land, a ballad reflecting on the reality of fighting for freedom and democracy...

And I can't help but wonder now, William McBride,
Do all those who lie here know just why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you the cause?
Did you really believe that this war would end wars?
Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame
The killing the dying, was all done in vain
For Willie McBride, it all happened again
And again and again and again and again.