A messy, but real democracy

Tom Friedman poses some difficult questions from Indonesia. As one writer tells him, “Indonesia, instead of being seen as a weak democracy that needs support, gets looked at as a weak country that protects terrorists, and Malaysia is seen as superior because it arrests more terrorists than we do.”

Tom’s conclusion: “[Indonesia’s] greatest contribution to us would be to show the Arab Muslim states that it is possible to develop a successful Muslim democracy, with a modern economy and a moderate religious outlook. Setting that example is a lot more in America’s long-term interest than arresting a few stray Qaeda fighters in the jungles of Borneo.”