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Our commitment to democracy is also tested in the Middle East, which is my focus today, and must be a focus of American policy for decades to come. In many nations of the Middle East -- countries of great strategic importance -- democracy has not yet taken root. And the questions arise: Are the peoples of the Middle East somehow beyond the reach of liberty? Are millions of men and women and children condemned by history or culture to live in despotism? Are they alone never to know freedom, and never even to have a choice in the matter? I, for one, do not believe it. I believe every person has the ability and the right to be free. (Applause.)
Some skeptics of democracy assert that the traditions of Islam are inhospitable to the representative government. This "cultural condescension," as Ronald Reagan termed it, has a long history. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, a so-called Japan expert asserted that democracy in that former empire would "never work." Another observer declared the prospects for democracy in post-Hitler Germany are, and I quote, "most uncertain at best" -- he made that claim in 1957. Seventy-four years ago, The Sunday London Times declared nine-tenths of the population of India to be "illiterates not caring a fig for politics." Yet when Indian democracy was imperiled in the 1970s, the Indian people showed their commitment to liberty in a national referendum that saved their form of government. Time after time, observers have questioned whether this country, or that people, or this group, are "ready" for democracy -- as if freedom were a prize you win for meeting our own Western standards of progress. In fact, the daily work of democracy itself is the path of progress. It teaches cooperation, the free exchange of ideas, and the peaceful resolution of differences. As men and women are showing, from Bangladesh to Botswana, to Mongolia, it is the practice of democracy that makes a nation ready for democracy, and every nation can start on this path. It should be clear to all that Islam -- the faith of one-fifth of humanity -- is consistent with democratic rule. Democratic progress is found in many predominantly Muslim countries -- in Turkey and Indonesia, and Senegal and Albania, Niger and Sierra Leone. Muslim men and women are good citizens of India and South Africa, of the nations of Western Europe, and of the United States of America. More than half of all the Muslims in the world live in freedom under democratically constituted governments. They succeed in democratic societies, not in spite of their faith, but because of it. A religion that demands individual moral accountability, and encourages the encounter of the individual with God, is fully compatible with the rights and responsibilities of self-government.
Originally posted by drkylefletcher
I'm gonna take a wild guess that maybe the CIA had something to do with the uprising in Egypt.
Originally posted by ~Lucidity
That's a stretch.
The more likely scenario is that they saw what happened to Afghanistan, Iraq, nations in Africa, and don't want it happening to them. When will people get that they, as a whole, don't want the elite and imperialist nations or their puppets running their countries?
Whether this was staged/instigated (probability medium) and then got away from them or really just did come from the people, one thing is certain...an NWO puppet is going to wind up back in there. One way or another.The attacks by the NWO on Mohamed ElBaradei making him appear as NWO is a diversion. The NWO hates him.edit on 2/3/2011 by ~Lucidity because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by ~Lucidity
reply to post by HoldTheBeans
No. Not exactly.
They see how Iran is in the crosshairs. And Syria. And whether they're invaded directly or yet another country in their region is, I'm sure no one there is thrilled about the possibilities...or what they have to sacrifice and endure to stay out of those crosshairs. How would you feel if the situation was reversed, and say China decided the U.S. was not treating their people right and is irresponsible financially and has nuclear weapons pointed at people and that the world should not tolerate this?
edit on 2/3/2011 by ~Lucidity because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by HoldTheBeans
Originally posted by drkylefletcher
I'm gonna take a wild guess that maybe the CIA had something to do with the uprising in Egypt.
Why would the CIA create an uprising in a country who is our military ally?
Originally posted by Amaterasu
Just because we're "friends" now does not mean it is writ in stone for eternity.
Originally posted by ~Lucidity
reply to post by HoldTheBeans
You're either being purposely dense to annoy me or you're not telling me what part of what I actually said is not clear. My mentioning China was an example, not the point.
edit on 2/3/2011 by ~Lucidity because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by drkylefletcher
Originally posted by Amaterasu
Just because we're "friends" now does not mean it is writ in stone for eternity.
Also, if Egypt's leadership wasn't working out for whoever, what would stop them from starting a coup?