[Chris Alger]

"Democracy - A form of government in which the people elect their lawmakers"

Then Iraq under Saddam was a democracy and Israel isn't. Saddam was elected and the residents of the territories have no right to vote for or against their Israeli overlords.

A democracy is when the government operates and legislates according to the informed consent of the governed, ensured by the meaningful participation of the electorate. This is often qualified by a requirement of some level of protection given to individual and minority rights. Election rituals aren't sufficient.

"Terrorism - Use of force against civilians by non-state actors to achieve political ends."

So the contra compaign was terrorism and Reagan and the U.S. Congress in the 1980's were foremost among world terrorist sponsors. Know any Republicans who accept this? Do you think the Commander-in-Chief of the WOT does? And is all war by states where force is used against civilians, like the U.S. in Iraq, "state terrorism"? Or are you defining away this concept, Newspeak style, so that no one should ever think about it?

Terrorism is the use of force by states or non-state actors against civilians. All modern war involves terrorism.

"Liberation - Delivering people from an oppressing regime and replacing it with a democratic government."

And since the countries liberated from Nazi occupation by the Soviets held elections, they too were liberated, even as they had to toe the line to avoid further "liberation." The very idea of any government thinking itself sovereign, much less democratically so, while under foreign military occupation, the occupiers immune from the sovereign's laws, is ridiculous.

Liberation occurs when the liberated are free to chose their a meaningfully sovereign government, not when their government must operate according to the dictates or largesse of a foreign occupier.