Sometimes the logic of foreign policy goes over my head. For example, a carefully stage-managed protest in Lebanon is all happening because of Bush's relentless push to make Iraq the sweetest, most totally free democracy in the Middle East. Because nothing has ever happened in Lebanon before, that is, until we invaded Iraq. Don't you see?
At least now we can all take a bow for making stuff totally awesome there. Everyone is nice, middle class and lining up for sweeping camera shots just perfectly. This way, context can go out the window and we in the States can enjoy our sound bites and specious reasoning. Sweet juicy liberty is dribbling from the lips of everyone as they take a bite of freedom fruit, even though the same government being protested against is back in power after only two weeks, Syria just moved down the road a little bit and 50% of the country disagrees with the main requests of the "Cedar Revolutionaries". Nevertheless, you-know-who will be taking credit and "helping" all the lovers of liberty the whole world round.
But...what happens when guys like this, in countries we've never heard of before, people that truly have a heavy boot breaking their back too, start protesting?
Well, I guess we'll have to wait on that one. But as of right now, doesn't seem to be too much of a rush to play the faulty logic game with Afghanistan or Iraq and Kyrgyzstan.
The rhetoric and euphemisms of "democratizing" are nice when it's convenient, but as Juan Cole once asked, will Bush reach out when people in Tunnis, or Riyadh or Uzbekistan (our allies in the endless war) are marching? Is Bush going to be dedicated to this premise when it really counts; that is, when the rest of the world has its back turned?
Originally posted at News Junky, the little blog that no one reads.