Tell Me Something About democracy in the Middle East

[louis c]

Did I miss the results from Medina or Riyadh, or does Saudi Arabia, an ally of this country, refuse to have free elections. Am I mistaken, or is the Saudi Royal Family still in charge there, with our support?

Next, didn't we fight a war to oust Saddam from Kuwait? Is the Emir and his family still running things after we "freed" that country?

How about Jordan. Why is it I hear the King of Jordan replies to terrorist attacks? I don't remember any Kings being elected in any history book that I've ever read.

Isn't Pakistan run by a military dictatorship that overthrew a democratically elected government? How did they end up on our side?

Democracy is on the march in the Middle East is bullshit. Even the government in Iraq is run by the "Party for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq". Guess what the name of the ruling party in neighboring Iran, a member of the Axis of Evil, is. You've got it if you guessed the "Party for the Islamic Revolution in Iran".

Great strategy from the Assholes who don't mind sending other people's kids off to war. How many members of congress have their kids fighting in Iraq? How many administration officials' sons and daughters are there facing second, third, or fourth tours?

They make me sick. But my question is this.... who the F*ck falls for this shit?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

1. Hey, I agree. But for starters, tell me something about democracy in

America.

Lord knows, it's been gone for a while now....

[Solon]

2. There was democracy in the Middle East...

We killed it, and then all this shit started, I think at this point in time, the United States is the problem, not a solution.

[1932]

8. Damn straight. Mossadegh. Kermit Roosevelt. Eisenhower. Dulles.

That was a big mistake.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. So you think these countries aren't democracies either?

"How about Jordan. Why is it I hear the King of Jordan replies to terrorist attacks? I don't remember any Kings being elected in any history book that I've ever read."

The UK
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Sweden
The Netherlands

and on and on and on

Those countries, like Jordan, are constitutional monarchies, and democracies...

Violet...

[louis c]

4. I beg to differ

In those other countries the monarchs are figureheads that hold no power.

In Jordan, just as Saudi Arabia the King or the Prince is the boss.

[Violet_Crumble]

6. The Queen sure had some power when she fired an Australian govt...

She's the figurehead of our country, and in 1975 she sacked a govt elected by the Australian people...

Or are you trying to say that Jordan is totally different and doesn't have a Parliament or anything?

Violet....

[Solon]

9. Actually, for accuracy's sake...

She did it at the CIA's "request".

[Violet_Crumble]

10. Kerr was CIA? I always thought he was our GG!

;)

[question everything]

5. But this is the history of our foreign relations

Vietnam, the Philippines, Cuba (before Castro) Chile, Dominican Republic, Iran... and the list goes on.

So much easier to deal with an absolute ruler who signs the agreement with this country and who makes sure that he delviers... that is, until he is deposed.

Compare this for Israel, for example, that can replace an agreeable Laborite Ehud Barka with a hawkish Ariel Sharon.. in democratic elections, or murder a centrist Itzhak Rabin (yes, all definitions are relative).

So... from a POV of a super power like the USA, absolute rulers are always preferable, especially the capitalist ones, who just loves the millions that they get as.. what should I call it.. negotiation fee? that goes straight to their Swiss bank account while their people are starving.

[1932]

7. Galbraith told JKL or LBJ (can't remember) that fighting for democracy in

'Nam was a joke of an excuse. He said the fact is that any "democracy" we created would put in power either our assholes or their assholes, and that's not much of a choice, and it's nothing worth spending billions of dollars and thousands of American lives on.

Democracy is the best thing going, but you can't create it through a war driven by a third party's concern for the profitablity of its own empire.