Worth citing the following from the article referenced above:
That applies equally to Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq and others. It's completely unrealistic to expect a rapid transition to functioning democracy. It's not just a question of "democratic values"... a culture of democracy has to emerge, in practice, and that takes time. The initial impulse is often for multiple parties to emerge, differentiated along sectarian, tribal, or individualist lines, often representing little if any "choice" in policy or ideological orientation. With numerous contending parties it's easy to get elected officials with a small minority of the vote. Gridlock may be severe, and early "democratic" governments may be unable to do very much beyond incessant talk. Populaces with huge expectations often become intensely frustrated with the emerging process, and there's often nostalgia for a dictator who could and would actually do something... even something awful.When we talk about a genuine democratic Libya that means the Libyan people themselves need to be democratic. The harsh reality is that due to the 42 years of Gaddafi’s dictatorship, Libya does not have real democratic values. Without these values it is very difficult to create and establish a democratic state system and government.
All of this is to be expected, at least if we pay any attention at all to the history of transition out of extended dictatorship. Democracy is a wonderful thing, but it's no magic bullet and it's no assurance of stability, prosperity, or functioning government, especially in the short term.
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