The cascade of democracy is happening via the people

Sunday, 20 February 2011 05:00

Jack Kelly's Feb. 13 column ("Beware the Muslim Brotherhood") is another directly slanted commentary that completely misses the mark. He claims President Barack Obama has been "caught ... by surprise" by the events in Egypt and has given mixed signals. Mr. Kelly must not have heard the president's Cairo speech or his inaugural address, in which he said dictators who "cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent" are "on the wrong side of history."

What Mr. Kelly fails to understand is something that President Obama does understand: People in the Middle East can retake their country without the direct intervention of the United States, or the forceable imposition of what Mr. Kelly calls "Western-style democracy." Mr. Kelly was a cheerleader for the Iraq War, in the name of freedom, which left hundreds of thousands dead.

However, it is perplexing that now he seems deeply concerned when a peaceful, intrinsic protest removes a dictator without the cost and lives that were required in Iraq. Mr. Kelly should remember the argument from the prior administration whose military intervention, it was thought, would produce a cascade of democracy in the Middle East. What is happening now, in a mostly peaceful manner, may actually achieve that goal.

STEVE KARAS
Forest Hills

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written by ABC123, February 20, 2011 - 10:11 AM

This letter loses all credibility by calling the protests peaceful. They weren't. And, by the way, Obama backed dictators who "cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent" in Honduras and Iran.

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written by Deke, February 20, 2011 - 11:13 AM

written by ABC123, February 20, 2011 - 09:11 AM

This letter loses all credibility by calling the protests peaceful. They weren't. And, by the way, Obama backed dictators who "cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent" in Honduras and Iran.

You sir are dead wrong. Obama never backed Mubarak, Bush did. It was Mubarak's thugs who started beating and killing people.
Next you insult the letter writer with your typical Republican blather. I think you know where to stick that. smilies/tongue.gif

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written by ABC123, February 20, 2011 - 12:04 PM

I never said Obama backed Mubarak. Why would he? Mubarak was an ally in the Middle East, and didn't want to kill every Israeli and American. So, obviously, Obama did not back him. Way to show your awesome comprehension skills.

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written by Deke, February 20, 2011 - 12:49 PM

You said Obama backed dictators, jut who did you mean.

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written by ABC123, February 20, 2011 - 02:17 PM

Again, Deke, way to display your comprehension skills. Read my post. It is right there at the end about whom Obama backed.

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written by John Lewandowski, February 21, 2011 - 10:22 AM

Deke's constant knee-jerk pro-Obama reaction seems to have affected his ability to read the last three words in a paragraph.

I think that the left is unconcerned about the possibility of a Muslim Brotherhood takeover in Egypt because they support radical Islam. After all, the left hates Western Civilization, and "The enemy of my enemy is my friend", right?

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written by gatoralum, February 21, 2011 - 03:50 PM

ABC123: Obama did not back the Iranian dictator. That is just silly. And the "dictator" in Honduras was democratically elected. The president, as did the other members of the OAS, simply opposed the extra-constitutional change of government in Honduras.

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written by StevenAK, February 21, 2011 - 03:55 PM

Actually these protests in Egypt compare to the Iraq war in terms of death, injury, and ongoing need for physical and emotional treatment were VERY PEACEFUL. So credibility remains... you comment however, does lack credibilty. Can you give an example of how Obama has backed Honduras and Iran? Especially Iran whose current sanctions, including a loss of trade with Russia, does not translate into support.

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written by Boffyflow, February 22, 2011 - 01:58 PM

I am holding out hope that one day people in the U.S. will arise and demand democratic rule.

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