Beirut Spring

Blogging Lebanon
since 2005

About

This post is more than 15 years old

Remember that politics move quickly, and people and their opinions evolve.

“Arab World Gives Up On America”

January 19, 2011 · Mustapha Hamoui

Finally, unlike the other buffoons, someone gets it:

one thing is clear from the “Tunisian example”: People in the Middle East have given up any hope that the United States can be a force for democratic change. As the uprising spread in Tunisia, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama stayed largely silent until the day Ben Ali fled. That was when Obama issued a statement condemning the use of violence against peaceful protesters and applauding “the courage and dignity” of Tunisians. By then, it was too late: The U.S.-backed dictator was gone, and the Arab world chalked up another example of how Washington favors stability over democracy.

Washington analysts should read the above paragraph 5 times before writing anything about Tunisia and Arab democracy.