FW: Striking a Blow for Democracy in Asia

I would like to discuss a point that I have taken from "Striking a Blow for Democracy in Asia" by Jeffrey S. Brand. The article talks about how educating common Cambodians about rule-of-law principles will eventually lead to forming a stable democratic government in their country. One interesting quote that I found was the line "If a transition to democracy is ever to succeed, it will only occur when an educated populace is capable of supporting it." As the United States seeks to export democracy to all corners of the world, and especially to southeast Asia since the communist scare of the 1950s, we rely on principles that are fundamentally the same as what Karl Marx taught. If you are ever going to make a difference in the world, you have to start with the common people and work your way up. You aren't going to start a revolution by educating the leaders of any country, but the populace. "Any move toward a more democratic government will be impossible because of the absence of a supporting infrastructure." (Brand)
One of Marx's essentials to building a stable communist government was educating the masses about the injustice inherent in their political system, and then they can know how to respond to it. When they understand the corrupt nature of the system they live under, they will collectively make the changes necessary to reverse the injustice and create a civil society. In Cambodia, to educate the people about the rule of law is to promote social and political change. So far, no efforts have succeeded to remove undemocratic leaders from power, but with an immense base of support from educated citizens, change will be possible.
It seems ironic that the US has vehemently argued against everything that Marx and communism stand for since the introduction of communism in the 1800s, but now we have to realize that there always was some good in the communist rhetoric, and that some very basic, hidden truths really can function for the benefit of capitalism and democracy.