I could be completely off base here but I don’t typically see citizens under a dictatorship praise their form of government, where those who are living in democracies frequently speak well of theirs.

Since most people in the “west” are living a life of prosperity and have a desire to help those less fortunate, we obviously want to try and make things the same in other places as they are here. It often seems to be a more difficult thing to actually accomplish than to want, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Democracy (of some kind) is one of the best forms of government for human rights and commerce. If you want to be successful and live a prosperous life what form of government would you choose to have in today’s world setting? It’s a no brainer.

Wouldn’t it be irresponsible or selfish to reserve assistance to those who live under harsh or completely oppressive dictatorships (or other “bad” leaders)? If I have the means to help overthrow a “bad” government shouldn’t I? I can’t believe anyone who opposes the poor treatment of a few hundred US prisoners could want to reserve help from thousands or millions of people who suffer much harsher lives under the rule of a “bad” government.

Honestly, I think the “west” usually interfere when we should but not with as much dedication as we should. We seem to dabble enough to make a headline then move on when we should be making a bigger commitment of continued support.