Where In the World Is American Supported Democracy? The Middle East

The Middle East

Aah, the cradle of civilization. There were democracies in the Middle East before while white Europeans still killed each other with clubs, long before anybody thought there was a new land to conquer. Yet, in the modern era, freedom in the Middle East is hard to find. Very hard to find, indeed. You would expect that the United States would be delighted to help reignite the flame of freedom in the region, wouldn't you?

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The military is the tail that wags the dog and politicians manipulate fear to keep the population in line. Sound like home? Nope - it’s just another day in the democratic state of Israel. Did we say democratic? Congratulations - you’ve won! (Of course, the rest of the world’s another matter…) In Iraq? Are you even trying to win this game, kids? The Americans took Iraq off the official list of terrorist states in 1982 and supported Saddam Hussein through his worst atrocities, which, like Claude Raines in Casablanca, they were later shocked, shocked I say, to discover. Take that, you useless Kurds! Fun fact: 16 of the 19 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia, as is Osama bin Laden. Yet, the Bush family has been protecting the despotic Saudi oil sheiks for, well, ever, to the point of spiriting them out of the country days after 9/11. Sorry, no support for democracy here. Take one military dictator, add nuclear arms and support for terrorists and what do you get? Did you answer: an invasion? Well, if you’re General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, you actually get military and financial support in exchange for supporting the war on Iraq! Suh-weet! In 1953, the CIA backed a coup that removed Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. For the next 25 years, the US supported the Shah’s despotically brutal dictatorship. “Operation Ajax” cleaned and scoured, all right, with theocratic revolution the ultimate result. The United States backed the democratically elected government of Syria...right up until it supported a military coup in 1949, plunging the country into a period of violent instability. With friends like this... After the Mujahedeen drove the Russian army out of the country, did the CIA help support the creation of a stable infrastructure and democratic processes? …NAAAAHH! The US abandoned Afghanistan, creating a fertile ground for terrorist recruitment and operations. Big Brother lives in Uzbekistan! However, the country is rich in gold, uranium and natural gas, and willing to sell out to the highest bidder, AND it supported the American war on Afghanistan. Who would want to upset such a sweet deal as that with talk of nasty old human rights? IIham Aliyev, son of the now deceased authoritarian ruler, Heydar Aliyev, was elected president of Azerbaijan last October 15 in an election condemned by international monitors as rigged. How did the democracy loving American government respond? With several state visits and military and development aid funds. And, why not? If there's one thing President Bush truly understands, it's the power of a family dynasty.