March 9, 2005

COINCIDENTAL PLAN:

What rise in freedom? (Robert Kuttner, March 9, 2005, Boston Globe)

FREEDOM IS breaking out all over, so it seems. To hear supporters of George W. Bush, it's all due to the president's courageous decision to risk his presidency on the Iraq War.

Here's the storyline: Just as Bush's neoconservative advisers planned, ousting Saddam transformed not just Iraq but the balance of power in the Middle East. It gave ordinary Arabs and Muslims a sense of democratic possibility. Once Saddam went down, the other dominoes started falling.

Just read the headlines: Syria, respecting America's new muscle, is thrown off balance. Lebanon, long Syria's puppet, is demanding liberty. Egypt's despotic president (and US client) Hosni Mubarak is suddenly promising fair elections. Saudi Arabia's local elections are more authentic than usual. On the Palestine-Israel front, there's suddenly progress. Iran is negotiating about shutting down its nukes. And in Iraq itself, the process may be a mess but something real is happening.

Wow! If this picture is true, let's nominate George W. Bush for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The only trouble is, the picture isn't true.

For starters, each of these events has its own dynamics.


That's true and liberty would have come to these countries even if a President Kerry had been there to try and stop it. Likewise, the Iron Curtain was going to come down whether Ronald Reagan forced the issue or not. However, wouldn't a smart electorate take advantage of the fact that these good coincidences all seem to converge when a conservative evangelical Republican takes office?

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 9, 2005 8:26 AM
Comments

The revisionists are trying to get a head-start, aren't they?

What a sorry lot. The sorriest part here isn't even about George Bush - it is astonishing that someone like Kuttner would write that Iran is "negotiating about shutting down its nukes".

Even the Europeans don't believe that anymore.

Posted by: jim hamlen at March 9, 2005 8:33 AM

"liberty would have come to these countries even if a President Kerry had been there to try and stop it"

You misunderestimate the talent of John Kerry. Of course he could bring a halt to liberalization. Ask the people of Vietnam.

Posted by: h-man at March 9, 2005 8:38 AM

Speaking of the 'dynamics', what were the 'dynamics' of 9/11? I guess the 'dynamics' of free and accountable government vs. the 'dynamics' of tyranny are simplistic, social constructs and need to be expalined by Kuttner and Kerry before the non-sophisticated upset the apple cart and do domething crazy like attempt to improve things in a direct and forceful way.

Posted by: Tom C., Stamford, Ct. at March 9, 2005 8:58 AM

Regardless of individual dynamics, Iraq and the elections in Georgia and Ukraine have glavanized the democratic opposition and demoralized the dictators who realize they cannot hide behind diplomatic inertia any more. The quick and simultaneous pace is not coincidental.

The euphoria will not last forever though. We need to seize what opportunities exist before disillusion sets in or the dictators regain their spine.

Posted by: Chris Durnell at March 9, 2005 10:33 AM

Libya, the pinko creep forgot Libya. Let's get that Nobel Peace Prize citation right.!

Posted by: Lou Gots at March 9, 2005 10:36 AM

You know, if this Jon Stewart Syndrome thing keeps up, Kuttner's going to start to feel like Kevin McCarthy in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", running around screaming about how all his former allies in opposition to U.S. foreign policy are turning into George W. Bush pod people (cue sinister "BWAAHHH" laugh from Karl Rove...).

Posted by: John at March 9, 2005 10:51 AM

John,

That's great but I thought that hip movie references were my department. :)

Posted by: Bart at March 9, 2005 11:23 AM

Yes, and Cuba will eventually be free, too. When Castro dies.

Just like Iraq would have been freed. After Saddam and then Uday/Qusay passed away.

The problem with their claim is not that it isn't true, but the oceans of blood and miles of mass graves that happen until the tyrant kicks the bucket.

Posted by: ray at March 9, 2005 1:02 PM
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