May 21, 2004

Do Americans Really Not Understand?

Victor Davis Hansone writes:


Americans do not grasp that should a constitutional government emerge in Iraq, al Qaeda is faced with an enemy far more formidable than the United States. The old false choice between strong-armed dictators and Islamic fascists will start to crumble with a third option that says to the Arab Street: “Look to your own elected government—that is, yourselves—not the United States or Israel, when the sewers back up and the power fails.” So, yes, what happens in the next two or three months is the most critical event since September 11.

I have to admit that I'm a bit stunned by the assertion. Of course it's true that getting rid of the blame the jews and americans attitude is critical to keeping the US safe. I just can't imagine that a working majority of americans, or the rest of the world for that matter, doesn't understand that.

All over the Middle East autocrats are very adept at blaming outsiders for their own failings. The US is one of the top targets of blame. A democratically elected Iraqi government will still have people who blame the US and Israel first but they will have to suffer periodic challenges from both people who say that they can successfully stand up to the perfidious jews and those who say that the whole thing is nonsense and covering up personal failure, taking responsibility for the success or failure of government domestically. Over time, this will produce the most reasonable government in the Middle East, possibly bar Turkey.

Posted by TMLutas at May 21, 2004 08:47 AM