Keep Spreading that Democracy, Mr. Bush
Bahrain recently held elections, and Islamists were swept into power, while more liberal and western candidates did poorly. And this is in a country that is our ally!
Does anybody notice a trend in the Middle East? Those countries that have had more open elections, thanks in part to Bush Administration pressure, have elected Islamist and/or hardline candidates? Remember how poorly the secular Iraqi Prime minister the US installed did in Iraq’s election? What about Hamas’ sweeping victory in the Palestinian territories? Has anybody thought that a “democratic Middle East” isn’t necessarily in the interest of the United States, and that what we mean by “democracy” only works after a culture has liberalized to a degree?
