Analysis: Hamas Victory a Message for Bush (check out the quote)

[ProSense]

Analysis: Hamas Victory a Message for Bush

By ANNE GEARAN, AP Diplomatic Writer
1 hour, 2 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - After making democracy a defining marker for American foreign policy, President Bush got a jolting message from Palestinian voters: Be careful what you wish for.

The United States promoted the democratic Palestinian election that now has produced an upset victory for the militant Islamic group Hamas. The election could install an organization the United States considers terrorist in place of a Palestinian leadership that, while weak, was pledged to work with Israel and with Washington.

The administration is caught between Bush's clarion rhetoric about spreading liberty even in unlikely places and the reality that self-determination can yield results that appear counter to U.S. interests. That's a challenge the United States may have to confront someday in other places as well, including Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Central Asia, the Balkans and — closer to home — South America.


snip...

Bush seemed mindful of that, even as he could not disguise his irritation.

"It was an interesting day yesterday ... as we're watching liberty begin to spread across the Middle East," he said.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060126/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_palestinians_2

[central scrutinizer]

1. democracy has never stood in our way before

just ask the people of Chile, Nicaragua, Grenada, Panama, Iran, ..........

[alfredo]

2. This quote is interesting

"Washington often cites the election of Abbas as president last year as proof a democratic wind blows in the Middle East after decades of political stagnation under family dynasties and thuggish one-party rule."

Yeah, we're getting to know what "thuggish one-party rule" is like.

[ProSense]

5. Good one. What I noticed

was the use of "liberty" instead of the customary "democracy" or "freedom" that Bush so arrogantly loves to use in his rhetoric, which in the article is also describe using the word liberty. Why? Bush knows damn well that his constant reference to spreading democracy is BS (in Iraq too) and he damn sure doesn't want a vote for Hamas linked to his rhetorical "freedom is on the march."

[alfredo]

7. Didn't they criticize Clinton for "parsing words"?

[Radicalman]

3. Another Way To Describe Bush's Problem

Well, the analyis is somewhat interesting. I would have cast it in the following terms: President Bush as said that the United States wants to spread God-given freedoms and democracy throughout the world. He has frequently equated democracy, particularly in Iraq, with "free elections." Mr. Bush 's problem, with the recent victory of Hamas in their free elections is that a group he calls "terrorists" was elected. Mr. Bush has always maintained the he won't "deal with terrorists." His critics are bound to say that the President can't have it both ways: Either he must renounce democracy and free elections or renounce his position on terrorism. If he renounces democracy he appears to support totalitarianism. On the other hand, if he renounces his stance on terrorism, he appears to be a weak, flip-flopping person, one of his major charges against John Kerry in the past Presidential election. In either case he is screwed. This is a problem of his own making. Mr. Bush, perhaps the worst President in the history of the United States, has often escaped these kind of difficulties by resorting to name-calling and loud-mouth bluster. What tactics he will use in this situation will be a test of Karl Rove's creative powers.

[orwell]

4. The real problem...

...the "king of terror" looks back at him when he shaves every morning.

[Initech]

6. Ouch, bad news for W! But he's putting his fingers in his ears and going:

"LA LA LA LA LA LA LA I'M NOT LISTENING LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!!!"