There is indeed a case for a league of “real” democracies

Sir Robert Kagan writes about “The case for a league of democracies” May 14, and of course there is such a case, as long as we are talking about real democracies. Many citizens around the world pray for the existence of a club where only governments that show their own people their utmost respect could be members, and where not belonging to it, helps to send an unequivocal shaming message.

Now for this to be a true example-setting club, it should not be possible to become a member by sheer political wheeling and dealing, but only by meeting a set of very strict criteria that go much further than just having a popular vote.

For instance Venezuela though presumably having a popular elected government, should not be able to be a member of such club since though it is a very polarized country it yet has a Congress that includes 167 members who are in favour of him who wishes to be called ‘Commander’, and none, zero, zilch, of those many who are not the least in agreement with that. Additionally Venezuela, as an oil cursed country that by centralizing the revenues from the oil in the State has a government that is wealthy and powerful independently of its citizens, should obviously not be admitted to a club of real democratic leaders.