> shitload of countries in the hold of some warlord or other despot, or like Libya or Sudan on the verge of collapse How many? Imposing some Western country's

> shitload of countries in the hold of some warlord or other despot, or like Libya or Sudan on the verge of collapse How many? Imposing some Western country's will on them is just another despot, but one who doesn't live there and doesn't know the place. > Unfortunately, democracy doesn't come on its own It depends on what you mean by 'on its own', but the track record of imposing it is poor. Your plan also has a very poor track record, complete with massacres that have exceeded 1 million people. The idea that the rich countries will be beneficient when their own interests are in plan is not realistic and not supported by evidence. I agree democracy should be supported. Foreign control is the opposite of democracy. It turns out that the only thing that works is local control and local input. Even aid agencies, government and otherwise, tend to make a mess rather than help. Here's an example: An NGO with the mission of fighting AIDS setup clinics in poor countries. With their funding, they hired a large proportion of available local doctors and nurses. More people died of simpler health issues, including childbirth, because healthcare professionals weren't available.