A Great Piece in Haaretz

A friend and middle east scholar sent me this piece.

A thrilling epic of freedom

By Meron Benvenisti


What symbolizes the "spirit of democracy" that is blowing strongly all over the Middle East? Is it the demonstration by the opposition, which led to the downfall of the Lebanese government, or is it rather the "demonstration of the million" two days ago, which demanded the continuation of the Syrian presence in Lebanon? Judging by the attitude toward it, the first demonstration - which has been called the "Cedar Revolution" - is seen as an event that compares to the "Orange Revolution" in Ukraine and the "Rose Revolution" in Georgia, and as proof of the victory of the doctrine of democratization of U.S. President George W. Bush and his spiritual mentor, MK Natan Sharansky.

On the other hand, the second demonstration is described as a forced call-up that was organized by the Hezbollah terror organization and members of Syrian intelligence. And some also see the demonstration supporting Syrian subjugation as proof of democracy.

This is not the first time that the masses have chosen cruel tyrants to rule them, in a perfectly democratic process. Nothing will stand in the way of the American spin, which connects events of differing backgrounds and unique circumstances into a thrilling epic of a "freedom intifada" that is spreading all over the Arab world, and which will confront terror and be victorious over it.

The desperate American need to justify the Iraqi war after the fact is causing them and their supporters to inflate every event and to lend it a significance that goes beyond the local, limited context, which usually stems not from lofty principles, but from the interests of local tyrants who want to strengthen their position.


http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/550173.html