NP - If You Don't Like the Facts Charge Conspiracy

[Terrance]

David Morris wrote:

> It is a theory given wide credence by even middle-class Arabs.
> 
> "There's something very suspicious about what happened in Baghdad," said Janice
> Chill, a Cairo travel agent. "Maybe Saddam has just gone underground and is
> preparing for the real war. I don't believe we've seen the end. Even the
> pictures of Iraqis celebrating weren't quite convincing."

Again, I doubt there is such a consensus because there is simply no such
thing as the arab middle-class or an arab street that we can talk about
with any real facts. This is ridiculous propaganda short hand that is
used by all sides involved in the propaganda wars. It's important to
remember how Saddam used both the propaganda of  Arab unity or
brotherhood and Islam. And it's important to realize that the USA is
doing the same thing here. While there are (mostly not middle class)
Arabs and Muslims that are buying into the propaganda of Saddam and
others and rushing to their death in Iraq, there are far more Islamists
moving in and they will be competing with the coalition for power as
political actors in the mainstream as it stabilizes (they work to build
and maintain schools, hospitals, clinics, youth centers, libraries,
banks, newspapers and publishing houses) and they will push for and
participate in electoral politics. If they are seen to be building a
consensus, support, in the new Iraq, the military government that the
USA is now imposing will be threatened, as will any Western leaning
government. Democracy is not something you take out of a box and
assemble. 

The USA has taken down lots of governments in the ME. But the Bush
doctrine is a bold and bloody method. Americans should not be fooled, we
haven't won a thing, yet.