George Bush's desire to spread democracy in the Middle East is not new, at least from the perspective of American Presidents. The earliest evidence was Woodrow Wilson. Contrary to his predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt who was more moulded into the Real Politik of Europe, Wilson was the first to talk about America being the beacon of democracy for people around the world. The words of American leaders and their diplomacy synchronised well to this philosophy till the end of the second world war. The morality behind this argument began to go away when it was accepted that democracy can wait till the fight with the bigger evil, Communism, was over. So, in the garb of fighting communism, regimes like those of King Fahd, Shah of Iran, Saddam Hussein, Anwar Sadat & then Hosni Mubarak, Shah Hussein were all tolerated. If you were on the side of America, it did not matter that your people were not free. These regimes created a generation of individuals who longed for the freedom of America but also hated her for supporting the rulers who would never let them taste that freedom.
So let me state the reason to write this entry. I am absolutely convinced that Saddam Hussein had to be removed. I also believe that being the most powerful nation, which is also a democracy, America has the right and an obligation to spread democracy around the world. I am also fine with the fact that you cannot deal with all the devils in the middle east all at once.
My problem is with the sheer lack of diplomacy on the part of this administration. Why is Iran not on the side of America? They were the ones who plugged in Taliban fighters on the side of Herat after the war started, they were the ones who handed over Al Qaeda fighters who were able to sneak in....what did they get in return? Being called Axis of Evil in the State of the Union Address by President Bush!!! What recklessness!! There was never a better chance to change Middle East fundamentally by aligning Iran( think how peaceful Iraq would have been if Iran was on US' side).
And then, besides diplomacy, the sheer audacity of lying again and again and again...it just neer seems to stop. We are not talking about Muammar Gaddafi lying!! We are talking about the President of the most powerful nation of the world lying...how does it feel to live in a world where the so called moral and millitary leader of the world is ruled by a bunch of lyers? And does it surprise anyone that no one compares George Bush to Woodrow Wilson despite the use of the exact same words?
So let me state the reason to write this entry. I am absolutely convinced that Saddam Hussein had to be removed. I also believe that being the most powerful nation, which is also a democracy, America has the right and an obligation to spread democracy around the world. I am also fine with the fact that you cannot deal with all the devils in the middle east all at once.
My problem is with the sheer lack of diplomacy on the part of this administration. Why is Iran not on the side of America? They were the ones who plugged in Taliban fighters on the side of Herat after the war started, they were the ones who handed over Al Qaeda fighters who were able to sneak in....what did they get in return? Being called Axis of Evil in the State of the Union Address by President Bush!!! What recklessness!! There was never a better chance to change Middle East fundamentally by aligning Iran( think how peaceful Iraq would have been if Iran was on US' side).
And then, besides diplomacy, the sheer audacity of lying again and again and again...it just neer seems to stop. We are not talking about Muammar Gaddafi lying!! We are talking about the President of the most powerful nation of the world lying...how does it feel to live in a world where the so called moral and millitary leader of the world is ruled by a bunch of lyers? And does it surprise anyone that no one compares George Bush to Woodrow Wilson despite the use of the exact same words?
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