Tunisia has just entered revolution mode, President booted..

This sounds like another serious defeat or setback for USA interests in the region. From everything I read, the ousted Tunisian leader was as staunchly aligned with the USA as any other Arab regime. The outgoing president of Tunisia was known as anti-Islamists and even enforced rules like the banning of the hijab in what is basically a majority Muslim nation. I heard a guy on TV saying he was viewed by many Tunisians as an enemy of Islam, and that it was likely an Islamist party would come to power if elections are held.

My question to Mathloom and others: Is it fair to say that if free elections are held throughout the Middle East, it is more than likely that Islamist would pretty much sweep to power? If so, then it explains why many western powers have little interest in paying more than lip service to spreading democracy in the region. It would probably be stupid of the USA and Europeans to support democracy in the Islamic world since it would direclty conflict with their strategic interests, dont you think?

 

To all the naysayers pondering about the implications of this revolution for American "strategic interests."



How can any people of any land view, with benign eyes, the spread of "American democracy", if at any opportune moment, America sacrifices democratic ideals for the embrace of temporary haven?

America has a long and sordid history of enforcing tyranny, and abandoning liberty whenever it has seen fit.

It is why nobody but political infants would believe that America is financing the world's largest military for the interests of democracy, or that disastrous expeditions into foreign lands are for the preservation of liberty.

If America wishes to be seen as the true guardian of democracy, as it aspires to be, then well, what is it waiting for?

Here is a great opportunity. A nation where the people have grown tired of police state politics that squelches liberty at every turn, and poisons discourse has finally decided that enough is enough. If America truly respects the wishes of the people, it will do well enough to leave this alone or to (god forbid) support it.

Do not forget that nations like China and Russia are waiting with glee for every time America slips up and becomes more and more like them. Al-Queda eagerly waits for any sign of American intervention into yet another political movement in the Middle East, which will give them another 50 years of propaganda, and fresh waves of recruits. We owe it to the citizens of Tunisia-and indeed ourselves-to ensure that this revolution is not impeded.

 

sometimes a soapbox is just what you need.

Tell me what you know about dreamin’ dreamin’

 

So, lets say that a large number of votes in Tunisia (maybe the majority, maybe not quite) would support candidates from a religiously-oriented party (the party could be "extremist" to some degree, not sure exactly what degree it is), what do you propose that the U.S. does about it?

Going in with the military didn't exactly work to make voters support American-friendly candidates who support secular government (ironically, some Republicans are fighting tooth and nail against the secularization of government in the U.S., but that'a another discussion) in Iraq and Afghanistan. People who support, say, Al Sadr, still supports him. At some point, as a foreign power, you can voice your support for certain values, or maybe even provide other more tangible forms of aids to political parties or even dictators who agree with you, but in the end, there's only so much you can do if the population have different value than yours. You just gotta deal with people and domestic politics of countries as they are, not as you'd like them to be.

 

Tunisia provides another example why democracy alone is not enough. You need other elements like the freedom of the press, separation religion and state, and most importantly a truly independent court system to check and balance executive powers. Looks like Tunisia is no different from most other developing countries: far behind in those departments. Without those elements, voice of everyone could be easily exploited, see Hitler's Nazi regime, and Sadam's Iraq. However, those elements must be developed within. Maybe this is a chasm the developed world will have to accept.

 

While I would expect Islamist parties to take a larger role in a democratic government, I don't foresee a hardcore Islamic takeover in Tunisia. From what little I know of it, it seems too westernized for something like that.

 

This post deserves no other reply than:

I reported it.

 

Saudi Arabia is at the heart of Islamism, Mathloom should post that documentary again from their support of that mosque in Great Britain....that was supported by the radical leadership in Saudi Arabia.

DD

 

I'd like to know how many posters in this thread have actually been to one of the two Nisias.

 

Yes, I've actually ridden a motorcycle from Tunisia to Nigeria.

 

No, I mean it is from the ruling Imams in Saudi Arabia that is right at the heart of the Islamism.

Let's hope Tunisia gets a freely elected government that protects all it's people....

DD

 

Great post..So glad to see somebody gets it.

 

So are you one of the babies who is always reporting?

You did support the invasion of Iraq so it is posting the turth.

 

This is only tangentially related, but anybody who is interested in what is going on in in Tunisia that hasn't seen the film The Battle of Algiers should watch it. It is the story of how neighboring Algeria kicked the French out in the late 1950's.

And Netflix has it for streaming at the moment:

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Battle_of_Algiers/60011023