stephen   on  03/19/05  at  11:09 AM    #1

Vik,

Written by the same man who apparently wrote this a decade ago:

In the case of Egypt, the question is becoming acute. President Hosni Mubarak is in the midst of a desperate campaign against Islamic extremists adept at terror and committed to a Khomeini-like Islamic state. The fall of Egypt, linchpin of the Middle East, would be an international calamity second only to the fall of Russia, linchpin of Eurasia. Mubarak is no doubt asking us, "Do you support me in my war against the fundamentalists?" Our answer has to be: Given the alternative -- yes.

...

Moreover, democracy does not just mean elections. It also means constitutionalism -- the limitation of state power -- in political life, and tolerance and pluralism in civic life. Yeltsin and Mubarak are clearly more committed to such values than those who would overthrow them. That is why it would be not just expedient but right to support undemocratic measures undertaken to avert a far more anti-democratic outcome. Democracy is not a suicide pact.

Good to see he's come around to "the notion the United States could help trigger a democratic revolution by militarily deposing their oppressors." Took him long enough.

Atrios over at Eschaton has more details. The quotes above come from his site.

stephen

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)   on  03/19/05  at  04:47 PM    #2

I'm glad you agree with Charles.

To be fair, Krauthammer may believe that a decade ago the alternatives were worse than status quo, and may believe that that is no longer the case today.

stephen   on  03/19/05  at  06:32 PM    #3

Vik,

While I opposed Bush going to war in Iraq, I've not once opposed the idea of Middle Eastern nations becoming democracies or, better, republics. As a liberal I would be remiss in not holding the President's feet to the fire and demanding he now put as much effort into establishing democracy in Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East as he did in Iraq. In some respects he's done this; in others he still seems to be hesitant. He's committed us, so we're in it all the way - no backing out now. Push, push, push on until the job's done.

stephen

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)   on  03/19/05  at  06:59 PM    #4

Stephen, that rocks.