Is a functioning democracy the sign of a culture that's mature?
No, not at all. None of the great cultures that man has seen have been democracies. Democracy is a relatively new concept, one that itself is still developing. For the most part people have lived under some form of authortarian rule and survived just fine. Just like ants, or bees, some people are best being workers, other drones, others soldiers and others leaders.
And is a culture that can't function as a democracy one that should be admired or even respected?
All cultures should be respected. It is not our right to judge the other until we have walked a mile in their shoes and truly understand their way of life. It is our duty to accept the customs and rules of the other culture when we visit it, and not expect that culture to adopt its ways to suit us.
Are we doing such cultures a favour by going in, blowing them to smithereens and giving them a chance to shed centuries of cultural and religious oppression?
Cultural and religious oppression in whose view? To people in the Middle East we are the ones who have it all wrong. We are the ones living in the under-developed culture, one which has yet to find the spiritual awakening that Muslims have. The only favor we can do to these cultures is to leave them alone and let them develop in the way they wish. Frankly, we should follow the Prime Directive from Star Trek.
