Is U.S. on the side of Mideast democracy? (Khaled Elgindy)

[AnOhioan]

(CNN) -- During the past week, the Middle East has been rocked by two separate political earthquakes that have shaken the foundations of U.S. policy in the region.

At the very moment Al Jazeera was rolling out its cache of hundreds of leaked Palestinian documents detailing controversial concessions to Israel, Egypt's streets erupted in massive protests demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

Yet, these two developments are linked by more than just timing. Although the controversy over the leaked "Palestine Papers" has since been overtaken by the dramatic events unfolding in Egypt, both events highlight the failure of two crucial and interconnected components of U.S. Middle East policy: the need for democratic reform and the elusive pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace.

As the Arab world's largest and most important U.S. ally, Egypt now lies at the nexus of both of these critical processes.




complete article at: http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/01/31/elgindy.egypt.palestinians/index.html?hpt=T1

[FiveGoodMen]

1. It's not even on the side of its own democracy.

[Ghost Dog]

3. Ufff.

Contagion, much?


I agree.

[Stuckinthebush]

2. Oh, hell no!

We talk a good game but don't upset our middle eastern allies. To paraphrase the VP, I wouldn't call them dictators. They have "elections", right?

Jeez...we are a freaking joke.

[Demeter]

4. It's not the Banksters' and Corporations' Style

so no, we don't support democracy, and haven't ever that I recall--at least, not intentionally.

Well, maybe the Marshall Plan, although considering how much graft and corruption was going underground in that era, it needs to be re-evaluated.