printDiana West notes the under-reported “triumphal return to Egypt of the poisonous Yusef al Qaradawi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s favorite cleric who just drew 2 million Egyptians back to Tahrir Square where he prayed for the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem.” She ponders the “delusional belief that American principles — freedom of religion, freedom of speech, equality before the law — have a natural place as ‘universal principles’ in a culture grounded in Shariah principles. This is the pure fantasy that has driven our foreign policy through a decade of ‘nation-building’ wars. …”
One quibble: The revolution in Egypt had its own momentum. The US and its incoherent foreign policy had little to do with the Changing of the kleptokratic Guard in Egypt.
More at “Big Peace.”
Such democracy is always at risk of being stolen by private interests or extremist groups, left and right.
I haven’t been able to find Diana West’s blog for weeks. It was nice to read one of her articles again. Beck is a dilemma for me. Every time I try to recommend he be heard, he goes and sticks in trash in the middle, like pointing at a picture of Geert Wilders and saying ‘This is a Fascist’ before continuing with an unrelated story. In the book 1984, the earth was split into three economic/military divisions. Would it be a surprise for us to see, the US, European Union, and a Muslim caliphate develop? True, the EU and the US are about to fall and the Caliphate wouldn’t last more than a few years either, as we continue civilizations’ deterioration; but a last gasp perhaps.
Certainly, the likes of Mubarak, Khadaffi, and all the assorted Arab tyrants are not worth crying crocodile tears over. Dubya’s call for shaking things up in the Middle East may ironically work in the LONG RUN.
Remember that in 1789, France started revolting against baddie Louis XVI only to get Robespierre, Bonaparte, 3 more King Louies and other scum until finally getting a stable “republique” 82 years later. Perhaps the Arab countries may be civilized when my great-great grandchildren are in their old age as well.
Germany went from Kaiser to Weimar to Hitler to Occupation to a currently stable country without the old Teutonic Deutschland uber Alles mentality.
In the meantime, the best one can probably “root” for is the Erdogan model of Islamic “democracy” – the next best is more Mubaraks –followed by the Pakistani military-election-coup rotation…. At the bottom end is Iranian theocracy or Somalian Warlord-anarchy.
What amazes me is how professional idiots like Kristol get to persuade the Obamas, Bushes, and others that America can micromanage mobs of angry people (angry in part because food prices were driven up by ETHANOL SUBSIDIES!!!) who hate American culture and micromanage ambitious military chiefs, clerics, and 300,000,000 Arabs.
What CHUTZPAH!!!
According to a recent poll, 90% of Egyptians agree with giving out the death penalty to those who reject Islam. How can anybody think democracy will flourish in a climate like that is beyond me.
On the other hand, when the 10% of people (presumably Copts) who disagree with that are taken care of, one way or another, I imagine a ‘democratic consensus’ will be easy to establish in Egypt !
Why do we,(Americans)insist on dealing with the Muslims just like they are little Americans? They aren’t and are never going to be. I fear most Americans cannot get their arms around this fact but we are in a war until the end of time with the Muslims, among others. Americans need to realize you can’t do battle with a poisonous snake by giving it a sponge bath.