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Bush, Democracy and the Mid East

Hoot

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I've been reading a bit about Lebanon...which is in all the news lately, you know....Bush telling Syria to withdraw...etc.

Then I read a great line from a Harvey Morris in the "Financial Times,"...

"The trouble with democracy is, given a free choice, electorates often make the wrong one."

Boy, isn't that the truth?

I think we've seen that in our last two Presidential elections! LOL!

The thing about Lebanon is... there's a very good chance the anti-Israeli Hezbollah Party might emerge victorious in an election...something the Bush White House does not want to see.

Also...there's talk of free elections in Egypt now, and a good chance that some group called the "Muslim Brotherhood" will win out...again not very friendly to Bush.

Iraq could very easily end up like Iran....again..bad for Bush.

So what happens if we spread all this democracy, and people are voted into office who hate the U.S.?

Send Karl Rove to do his brand of dirty politics for the next elections?

To give Bush some credit, I honestly hope he's successful in spreading Democracy in the Mid East.

But I'm afraid Bush felt that spreading democracy in the Mid East would be as easy as throwing Civic text books out of the back of a Humvee. I think he believed people would embrace it?

Bush may be in for a shock when they vote people into office who hate the U.S.....Then what?
 
Hoot said:
I've been reading a bit about Lebanon...which is in all the news lately, you know....Bush telling Syria to withdraw...etc.

Then I read a great line from a Harvey Morris in the "Financial Times,"...

"The trouble with democracy is, given a free choice, electorates often make the wrong one."

Boy, isn't that the truth?

I think we've seen that in our last two Presidential elections! LOL!

The thing about Lebanon is... there's a very good chance the anti-Israeli Hezbollah Party might emerge victorious in an election...something the Bush White House does not want to see.

Also...there's talk of free elections in Egypt now, and a good chance that some group called the "Muslim Brotherhood" will win out...again not very friendly to Bush.

Iraq could very easily end up like Iran....again..bad for Bush.

So what happens if we spread all this democracy, and people are voted into office who hate the U.S.?

Send Karl Rove to do his brand of dirty politics for the next elections?

To give Bush some credit, I honestly hope he's successful in spreading Democracy in the Mid East.

But I'm afraid Bush felt that spreading democracy in the Mid East would be as easy as throwing Civic text books out of the back of a Humvee. I think he believed people would embrace it?

Bush may be in for a shock when they vote people into office who hate the U.S.....Then what?
Then we just overthrow the elected winner! Anti-democracy tactics are nothing new to the USA. We've done similar things in the past with Chile and Panama. We've openly supported dictatorships in Greece (1947) and in Zaire for 34 years before democracy was restored. So don't be surprised to see the USA attempt to overthrow a winning candidate in Lebanon or Iraq.
 
anomaly said:
Then we just overthrow the elected winner! Anti-democracy tactics are nothing new to the USA. We've done similar things in the past with Chile and Panama. We've openly supported dictatorships in Greece (1947) and in Zaire for 34 years before democracy was restored. So don't be surprised to see the USA attempt to overthrow a winning candidate in Lebanon or Iraq.
The 1953 CIA inspired coup in Iran that overthrew the elected Mossadeq government serves as the basis for many of our problems today.

Has anyone heard or read anything on prodemocracy demonstrations in Baharain last week?

May not find it in American media which is interesting given the US professed antityranny campaign. 80,000 demonstrators would be about 12% of the population of that nation.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the King being a 'friendly tyrant' and gracious host to the American 5th fleet.

Once again not all tyranny is bad tyranny.
 
If anyone is ambitious enough to search for news on the demonstrations in Bahrain don't spell it as I did above Baharain.

To evaluate US commitment to spreading democracy one might consider how quick we were to embrace the coup that temporarily overthrew the elected government in Venezuela 2-3 years ago.
 
Hoot said:
I've been reading a bit about Lebanon...which is in all the news lately, you know....Bush telling Syria to withdraw...etc.


Also...there's talk of free elections in Egypt now, and a good chance that some group called the "Muslim Brotherhood" will win out...again not very friendly to Bush.


Iraq could very easily end up like Iran....again..bad for Bush.



To give Bush some credit, I honestly hope he's successful in spreading Democracy in the Mid East.
QUOTE]



Well to start off, I want to give you my opinion because this is an issue that pretty much doesnt have an ending. When Bush is telling Syria to withdraw troops from Lebanon, I agree with him. But why doesnt he listen to people when they tell him to withdraw troops from Iraq. I just dont get it. He is giving advice that he doesnt even follow.

Also about the Muslim Brotherhood Group being mean to Bush, who knows...maybe Bush was mean to them. We dont really have that evidence. Also when you said Iraq could end up like Iran which is bad for Bush....he got himself into this...he has to get out.

When you said to give Bush some credit about the democracy spreading in the Mid East....I dont think he is trying his best about that. After watching the news and reading hundreds and hundreds of articles....my opinion is he is doing everything except spreading democracy.
 
myshkin said:
To evaluate US commitment to spreading democracy one might consider how quick we were to embrace the coup that temporarily overthrew the elected government in Venezuela 2-3 years ago.

which was stupid on our part.. we shouldn't have messed with Venezuela.
 
Arch Enemy said:
which was stupid on our part.. we shouldn't have messed with Venezuela.
What does Venezuela have in common with Iraq?
 
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