Resolved: The United States ought to promote democracy in the Middle East.

"Democracy is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people." Because I agree with this statement from Abraham Lincoln, I must affirm the following, RESOLVED: The United States ought to promote democracy in the Middle East. As a brief resolution analysis, the resolution specifically states "promote" democracy, and not that it is required or forced upon the Middle East. Definitions are key to today"s debate, so I shall provide the following definitions. Ought: moral obligation (Merriam Webster) Promote: support or actively encourage (New Oxford American Dictionary) Democracy: a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives Value: The highest value for today"s debate is civil liberties. Civil liberties guarantee the protection of persons, opinions, ideas, and property from arbitrary government interference. Civil liberties is the most important value in today's debate as freedom provides the base for all other fundamentals and allows a society to progress in an unrestrained manner that is free from oppression and discrimination. Criterion: The criterion for achieving civil liberties is liberalism. Liberalism was developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as a doctrine which emphasized the development of the individual free from the restraints of government. In the twentieth century this view changed to one which looks to the government to step in and correct wrongs and abuses. Liberalism looks to change society for the better and correct the mistakes or errors that have been made by society running an unregulated course. CONTENTION 1: The US promoting democracy will allow for civil liberties to be furthered in the Middle East. The Middle East has a long history of restricting civil liberties within society, specifically based on gender. According to "The Week" on Feb. 4, 2016, Saudi Arabia bans women from interacting with men, wearing clothes that "show off beauty", or even go anywhere without a chaperone. The restrictions on freedom go far beyond this though. Politically, the people are restricted. Iran is lead by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, not chosen fairly by the people; Oman is lead by a self-appointed dictator. Dictators, kings, and "Supreme Leaders" restrict political freedoms of the people. The United States promoting democracy in the Middle East will correct these wrongs via liberalism. Societies in the Middle East have veered off what humanity should be, and it is the United States job to help get them back on track. Promoting democracy is the first step, as it will allow the people to have a say in their government. It will promote women's rights to voting and much more. It will put the Middle East back on the moral path to prosperity. CONTENTION 2: Promoting democracy is the liberalistic obligation of the United States. The United States is a country built on the foundation of rights to all men in all aspects: property, free speech, and ability to vote. The United States has a obligation to support this to those in the Middle East trying to achieve the same within their nation. We must stand solid in supporting what we were solidly built on. This is our liberalistic obligation to correct the wrongs in the Middle East via supporting democratic transitions that give the power back to the people. (I know it is short, but I was restricted on time and trying to multitask. It is more logic built than evidence and short, simple ideas)