The Problem Wasn't Bush

It was supposedly "small-government" conservatives who blindly followed his foolish agenda.

by James Leroy Wilson

I recently heard some guys on the radio talk about the Bush Presidency. Their argument is that he is a good man and that his Presidency will be judged later on, depending on whether Iraq becomes a vibrant island of democracy in the Middle East. If Iraq succeeds, the argument goes, so will the Bush Presidency, even if we don't appreciate it now.

I turned the dial. What they were hoping for is a ridiculous fantasy.

After all, Western "influence" in the Middle East only serves to radicalize the people. Think of it this way. Let's say the Iranian government, or Chinese government, was the most powerful on earth and exerted heavy influence in our own country. And let's say our own internal political structure was so corrupt and weak that evangelical Christian pastors provided the only effective home-grown resistance to the foreign meddlers. Would it be surprising that even moderates and non-Christian Americans would rally around the "Religious Right" to defeat the imperialists?

Of course not. Likewise, if "democracy" succeeds in the Middle East, the result will most likely be an Islamic, anti-Western (meaning anti-American and anti-Israel) government.

Did this not happen in Palestine? Bush insisted on democracy there, but when Hamas was elected, Bush wouldn't accept the results of democracy. According to the U.S., if the elected government isn't pro-West, then it's not a real democracy.

For the Bush Iraq Democracy Project to succeed in Western eyes, Iraq's foreign policy must be pro-West, respect different religions, and women must possess rights that seem to be contrary to Islamic law. No wonder so many in the Middle East believe this is a new Crusade against Islam!

If Iraq, or the Middle East as a whole, is to become more like "us," that will require a spiritual revolution, or a transformation in consciousness. And these can not be imposed by force, but developed internally within the individual by the quiet persuasion of example. If a Muslim in the Middle East "democracy" votes for the pro-U.S. candidate only because he believes the U.S. Air Force will bomb him to pieces if he doesn't, then he doesn't really live in a democracy. The choice was coerced, not reflective of one's real values. Bullies can't change the hearts and minds of those they oppress, and neither can bomber pilots.

In short, the Iraq project was lunacy because... Read more>>>>