By Charles Krauthammer - from the National Post
Herewith President Obama’s May 19 Middle East speech, annotated:
“It will be the policy of the United States to promote reform across the region, and to support transitions to democracy.”
With this Barack Obama openly, unreservedly and without a trace of irony or self-reflection adopts the Bush Doctrine, which made the spread of democracy the key U.S. objective in the Middle East.
“Too many leaders in the region tried to direct their people’s grievances elsewhere. The West was blamed as the source of all ills.”
Note how even Obama’s rationale matches Bush’s. Bush argued that because the roots of 9/11 were to be found in the deflected anger of repressed Middle Eastern peoples, our response would require a democratic transformation of the region.
“We have a stake not just in the stability of nations, but in the self-determination of individuals.”
A fine critique of exactly the kind of “realism” the Obama administration prided itself for having practiced in its first two years.
How far did this concession to Bush go? Note Obama’s example of the democratization America is aiming for. He actually said:
“In Iraq, we see the promise of a multi-ethnic, multisectarian democracy. There, the Iraqi people have rejected the perils of political violence for a democratic process … Iraq is poised to play a key role in the region.”
Hail the Bush-Obama doctrine.
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