The empty talk of "Democracy"

George W. Bush likes to talk about spreading Democracy. We all know it's empty spin, he doesn't even have any use for Democracy in the United States. Republican Tucker Carlson, of all people, points out that such talk doesn't even make any sense. Democratic governments in the Middle East would be a disaster for US interests.

“We advance our own interests by helping reformers and advocates for democracy”? That was Bush’s position on the Middle East immediately after 9-11 and, remarkably, it remains his position. He said it again tonight. But can he actually mean it? Would it really “advance our interests” to have a democratically-elected government in Saudi Arabia? In Egypt? In nuclear-armed Pakistan? In every case, democracy would all but guarantee the election of Islamic lunatics who hate us. Those countries and others (Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar) would likely become dangerous enemies overnight. Bush’s democracy doctrine—it sounds good if you don’t think about it very long. And apparently he hasn’t.

Yes, I know that's an amazing grasp of the obvious but it's the first time I have heard it addressed in the MSM.

Another good read today is a piece by historian Rick Perlstein, Why Democrats can stop the war. He tells us that it's not only possible for the Democrats to stop George W. Bush but essential that they do.

Pundits say if the party gets too tough with Bush, it will be blamed for "losing" Iraq. But the real political risk is going too easy on Bush, and losing the trust of war-weary voters.

You have to watch an ad but it's worth it.