Do democracies fight each other?

[emad]

BBC News


Hitler was elected but then ruled by decree

When outlining his vision for peace in the Middle East, President George Bush said "democracies don't go to war with each other". Is it true?

The president's comments echoed those made in the 1994 State of the Union address by his predecessor Bill Clinton.

They share a belief that the solution to ending war is the spread of democracy. But does history support them?

A quick think over recent years tends to support Bush. Both Gulf Wars were against dictatorships, ditto Afghanistan and Kosovo.
More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4017305.stm

IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN = Mafia turf wars.........

[German-Lefty]

1. There was some French American philosopher who said this

right after our country was founded.

While I think it is unlikely democracies go to war, it is possible. It requires the populations to be belligerent toward one another. This used to be harder in the past since you had war with neighboring countries, which you couldn't be too ignorant of.

The civil war is a good example. The government of the confederacy was elected, right. Though maybe civil wars don't count.

I'd say healthy democracies don't go to war.

[crasmane]

2. The assertion is a major historical error.

The idea that democracy brings peace is fallacious on the basis of human experience.
The Greek poleis were basically democratic, yet fought constantly. Even people who share religion, culture, and much trade, who also share a belief in and consistent practice of democratic ideology, will find reasons to fight each other.

[OrwellwasRight]

3. I guess it depends on your definition of wat

If you were a British colony during the 19th Century, when it ws arguably the most democratic country in the world, you might easily have felt that Britain was at war with you.

On Edit: My point is that there is little to keep democracies from being agressors in the world, and I don't think any imperialists stopped to ask "Oh, are you a democracy? Well then, we won't colonize you. We'll move on to some other spot."