>In terms of history, that's not a larger percentage of the population. Europe had to go through several major spasms, costing millions of lives, before democracy triumphed. You tell me if it was worth it.
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The difference is Europe had a tradition of democracy before the great wars. Practically the whole U.S Constitution and Declaration of Independence came from the English Bill of Rights and French philosophers. Contrast this to the Arab world, where the concept of democracy barely exists, and never has. Even our "allies" like Saudi Arabia are brutal totalitarian regimes by Western standards. Steal a purse in the morning, your head is chopped off by sundown. Free press, zilch. Freedom of expression, zilch. Rights of women and minorities, zilch. Etc.