From the looting that continues to plague Baghdad and other cities in Iraq, it is easy to conclude that the Iraqi people are barbarians who are not ready for democracy. The Western media is portraying the looting in the manner that raises the question: what has the so-called liberation of Iraq accomplished anyway? The implication is that at least Saddam Hussein gave these people order; all that the Americans have brought is lawlessness and chaos.

In one sense, this argument is completely ridiculous. It is absurd to fault the Iraqi people for not respecting the institution of private property when they have lived for decades under a regime that stole at will. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who was once a slave, said he had no compunctions about stealing from his master, since the pork he stole and the belly that consumed it both belonged equally to his master. Since the Iraqi people rightly regard the possessions of the elite, and especially of the government, as largely pirated from the people, they can be forgiven for helping themselves to those chairs and tables and sacks of food when the evil authorities are removed. Some short-term looting is not only understandable; it is even desirable, in that it promotes catharsis and justice.

Of course in the long term looting and mayhem are incompatible with freedom and democracy. Political systems are schools of virtue, and people who live under totalitarianism and tyranny learn the bad lessons of those systems. The Russians are still unlearning the habits of conformity and corruption that were formed during 70 years of Communism. So, too, the Iraqi people have long endured a tyrannical system whose governing doctrine was, “Might is right.” Is it any surprise that such a system has not fostered respect for civility and private property?

But if bad political systems inculcate destructive habits, good political systems do the opposite. A democratic, capitalist system teaches citizens that they are accountable and responsible for their choices, both private and public. The people get to choose the rulers, but if they choose incompetent ones, they must endure the foolish choices that their leaders make. The democratic hope is that they will learn from their mistakes; at least they will have a chance to choose again.
Similarly in private life, a free society allows its citizens enormous latitude in shaping their own lives. This is not to say that people will always choose wisely; given the warped timber of human nature, it is reasonable to expect that many will not. But again, a free society is a school of virtue. People who make bad choices face the consequences of those choices, and hopefully they will learn from the experience.

What the Iraqi people need most is the kind of political system that we have here in America. Such a system, constructed not for angels but for flawed human beings, takes human nature as it is. It includes such things as “separation of powers” and “checks and balances” so that power is not too heavily concentrated, where it can be grossly abused. At the same time, the American system attempts to raise and elevate human nature by teaching habits of mutual respect, fair dealing, tolerance, and public spiritedness. The American system also seeks to steer human selfishness and ambition in such a way that they work toward the benefit of society as a whole.

The American character has been shaped in large part by the political culture of freedom, and there is every reason to believe that such a culture would also shape the character of the Iraqi people.

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