Is "democracy on the march" in the Middle East ?

[kentuck]

"Something" is on the march, no doubt. But is it democracy? Or is anarchy? Chaos? Instability? Civil wars? It is impossible to put a stick in a pile of shit and stir it up without making a stink. It's going to be very smelly.

[Silverhair]

1. Let's hope it is democracy. NT

[wtmusic]

2. There was a vote, so democracy is on the march

Saddam's statue came down, so the Iraqi people are free.

George Bush won the election, so there is a mandate on moral values.

It's a typical GOP premature ejaculation.

[Cocoa]

7. the umpteenth time the neocons have claimed vindication

in the past two years, the neocons have come out about a zillion times gloating about something that supposedly proves them right, and at which all the antiwar people are supposed to be embarrassed by. They've been so goddam RIGHT in the past two years it's almost hard to believe it's possible, how can any group of mortals (especially such ugly ones) be so fucking perfect!

And yet when disasters happen daily that kind of suggest that maybe they might have been something short of 100% perfect, when people die daily by the dozens, when no WMD are found, when there's a huge unreported ongoing hostage crisis they start screeching "the dems want us to lose the war! the dems hate the troops!"

[HamdenRice]

3. Iran's best friend: Shrub ensures Iran is on the march

Just reading an interesting article in the New Yorker and today's NY Times. Shrub has completely blundered in the ME, and the country that benefits most is Iran. First, he took out one source of stability and their rival for religious extremism, on the Sunnis side, the Taliban.

Next expecting the Iraqis to throw flowers and sweets, and elect one or another US puppet, he blunders into elections that will turn Iraq over to Iranian dominated Shiite parties.

What's next? The NY Times had an interesting editorial saying that shrub needs to proceed very carefully in Lebanon. If Syria is removed and Lebanon has "democracy" do you know which party is the biggest party there? Hezbollah, the Iranian controlled, Shiite party that attackes Israel and embraces terrorism. The editorial went on to say that Syria keeps Hezbollah under control. So if the Syrians are driven out, Lebanon will be controlled by Hezbollah.

This may be why shrub wants to attack Iran. There is a natural Shiite majority across part of the ME -- what King Abdullah of Jordan calls a potential Shiite crescent. "Democracy" or really majoritarianism, will inevitably bring Shiite religious parties affiliated to Iran to power.

So the only alternative after all these blunders is to control Iran, or at least "regime change" it so that its government is not hostile to the US.

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[Robeson]

4. If our President says it is, then it is.....

...because he knows whats best for the country and the world. He wants to spread freedom and democracy, and we should support him. I truly believe he is doing Gods work, so I know that President Bush is bringing Democracy to every place God tells him to....

*The preceding message was brought to you by the Republican National Committee, Britney Spears, and about every Republican I've ever spoken too....

[The Magistrate]

5. Chaos, My Blue-Grass Friend

It always wins in the end....

"Action is shrouded in evil as fire is by smoke."

[WildClarySage]

6. It's on the march all right

getting the hell out of there as fast as it's little legs will carry it.

[fooj]

8. How the hell would anyone REALLY know...they won't let anyone

near some of the places in Iraq...I personally feel that it is more chaos than anything else. I'm not hoping that the Middle East fail in the quest for democracy, however, I'm sure it can't be won by the barrel of a gun. Democracy by force? I don't think so...

[Dr Ron]

9. To some degree

There have been positive moves towards democracy in the middle east. There have also been victories for extremist elements, aided by opposition to Bush. It is far too early to predict who will win (or if there will be a sole, clear cut winner in the entire middle east).

Another consideration is credit. Conservatives are now trying to give Bush the credit for positive moves in both the middle east and the rest of the world, while avoiding giving Bush the blame for the problems arising from his foreign policy.

I discussed this a bit with regards to last Sunday's roundtable discussion on Meet the Press at Light Up the Darkness:
http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/?view=plink&id=437

[Serial Mom]

10. Could be ...

marching to the neo-con type of "democracy"

like Dubya's mis-administration - a "take and give" society

where they can take away people's liberties under the guise of a Patriot Act
where they can take away benefits to veterans for health care
where they can take away benefits for early education programs such as Head Start
where they can take away money toward any education
where they can take away funding to cities for first responders, where they can take away the middle class and create a working class to coincide with their elite class.

where they give tax cuts to the rich
where they give tax cuts to the corporations
where they give loopholes in the tax laws for the rich who need them
where they give contracts without bid to the big corporations
where they give more money to new, bigger government agencies such as Homeland Security (who don't spend the money on homeland or security)

and on, and on.

[Snotcicles]

11. Yeah and it's marching out of this country

while fascism moves in.