Bringing Democracy to the Mid East

Jim Lobe reports on Bush's speech claiming a shift in US policy in the Mid East: mistakes have been made, of course, but now the US is going to be promoting democracy there. Really. Honest.

To make things more absurd, Bush asserted this new policy before the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), those lovable thugs that engage in subversive activities previously undertaken by the CIA. The NED was last seen trying to help overthrow Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the infamous near-coup of 2002.

But getting back to the speech at hand, Bill Vann of the WSWS puts it well when he says,

There is an element of madness in the assumption that such a policy can be implemented without any regard for the bitter legacy of colonialism in the Middle East and the history of protracted and bloody struggles waged by national movements against foreign domination. This delusion that the Arab peoples are ready to welcome US armies sent in the name of “democracy” is already producing a tragedy in Iraq. Its extension throughout the region will ignite popular revolt and bring US imperialism face-to-face with catastrophe.

Mainstream publications also weighed in with varying degrees of skepticism and cynicism to Bush's pronouncement. Notably, the Washington Post called the speech "Idealism in the Face Of a Troubled Reality," while Time Magazine and the Financial Times each threw some cold water on this allegedly bold new initiative.