"For 60 years, the United States pursued stability at the expense of democracy in the Middle East -- and we achieved neither, now we are taking a different course. We are supporting the democratic aspirations of all people."
I can see where the Tunisian students and other youth may have been emboldened by that speech to affect change in their country. Now the Arab countries are toppling like dominoes as their angry, disenfranchised youth take to the streets to demand government overthrow in what's been called the first Facebook/Twitter revolutions.
Egypt receives more US foreign aid(in the billions each year) than any country but Israel, and we can debate the wisdom of giving billions of taxpayer dollars to Egypt and Israel, but in my opinion I'd rather that money go to support the most democratic, honest and open, representative governments that foster an environment of economic liberty guided by the rule of law. I realize those types of governments in the middle east are less stable with the rabble-rousing, Muslim hordes constantly agitating the citizenry against the government, but I'd rather give representative democracy a chance than consciously underwrite a quasi-dictatorship because it's more stable. But that's just me.
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"What we are seeing across the Arab world is not just the undoing of corrupt regimes. We are seeing the undoing of America’s entire foreign policy in that region. No wonder there must be deep misgiving in Washington over the recent turmoil in this key energy-producing region. For decades, US administrations have, through a cocktail of ignorance and arrogance, deluded themselves that they could get away with a mendacious contradiction. That contradiction is the espousal of democracy and peace in the Middle East while at the same time sponsoring regimes that act in every way to undermine any path to democracy and peace. And the vast majority of people in the Middle East see through this delusion. They are well aware that at the root of democratic change in the region is not just getting rid of internal corrupt rulers – it is the overthrow of Washington’s imperialist policy, which has long subjugated Arab countries to despotic rule.
(source: "Middle East: the Undoing of America’s Mendacious Foreign Policy" by Finian Cunningham, GlobalResearch.ca)
Glen, is that not exactly what I just got through blogging? I didn't name "American imperialism" specifically but before, I've talked about our meddling in the affairs of other countries in which we have no interests.
Relax, Ed. You and I agree on some things, perhaps even many things.
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