As More Muslim Nations Join the Anti-American Protests, Do the Democracy Spreaders See a Flaw in Their Ointment?

The Arab Spring has sprung.

Its Fall has not yet fell.

But, its Summer has indeed come,

And it is hotter than nine kinds of Hell!

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There are reports today of protests in even more Muslim countries around the world. What did those that promoted the Arab Spring expect? Millions of people in these countries hate America (and the West) and they have simply exercised their fledgling freedoms by protesting and attacking America in any way that their new governments of the people will allow.

Let’s remind ourselves that Obama wasn’t the only one enraptured by the naive notion of freedom and democracy for the Muslim nations of the Arab Spring.

Obama and Senator John McCain both supported handing power to the radical Islamists in Libya.

Al-Jazeera TV is airing shaky footage of a man resembling Qaddafi lying dead or badly wounded, bleeding from the head and stripped to the waist as fighters roll him over on the pavement.

The White House isn’t saying much about developments in Libya while US officials await more word. But even before confirmation, Sen. John McCain called it “an end to the first phase of the Libyan revolution.” He said the US and NATO should continue support for Libya. The US led the start of the NATO air campaign that bolstered the rebel forces in the early days.

Many American politicians supported the Arab Spring. In particular, the Islamists in Libya fighting against Gaddafi (supposedly America’s ally at the time) had the support of the Obama administration, John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, Condoleezza Rice, and Lindsay Graham just to drop some of the bigger names. These Americans all support democracy and freedom in these Muslim countries with no concern that they are supporting the handing of power to America’s enemies. These people are democratists (aka democracy spreaders) (think Jorge Bush). Former President Bush was not the founder of the democratist movement but he certainly was their poster child. Mr. Bush believed that world-wide freedom and democracy was not only possible, but that the effort would quickly produce staunch American allies. He was convinced that freedom would even make allies of those nations whose people had not only shown little or no desire to be allies with America, but had in many cases repeatedly displayed an extreme hatred for America. Logic seemed to have no bearing on Bush’s position in this regard.

Democratists wish to spread democracy around the world, no matter the consequences. They are in full agreement with the notion that the voice of (all) the people must be heard, regardless of the stated disdain for America by such people. Most citizens in these Muslim countries hate Westerners, and they especially hate Americans. When people get to vote for leaders of their choosing, isn’t it logical to assume that people who so vociferously proclaim their hatred for America would vote for leaders that are more likely to be an enemy to America than to be her ally?

Lawrence Auster at VFR makes the point that some of the same people who had supported peaceful relations with the Gaddafi led Libyan government later supported the Islamists in their overthrow of that same Gaddafi led government. Gaddafi had done nothing in between those two events that would justify a change of position. So, America forgave Gaddafi for the Lockerbie bombing and other terrorist activities in return for his newfound desire to be pro-American (brought about via Saddam Hussein’s fate, no doubt). Then the democratists reneged on that forgiveness and cheered Gaddafi’s removal (ironically by anti-democratic means).

It wasn’t just politicians who pined for a democratized Muslim world. Many talking heads, a lot of them so-called conservatives, also favored the spreading of democracy by whatever means necessary. A good example would be the neocon organization called the Foreign Policy Initiative, a pro-democracy group calling for active American intervention around the world in support of democratic movements, regardless of what kind of people those newly made democrats may elect to lead them. Read their mission statement here.

In 2011, the (FPI) sent a letter to President Obama encouraging him to support the overthrow of the Libyan government by the Islamists:

The Honorable Barack Obama

President of the United States

The White House

Washington, DC  

March 15, 2011

Dear President Obama:

Regrettably, the international community has yet to take serious action to prevent a moral and humanitarian catastrophe in Libya and the Libyan opposition is now on the defensive.  As forces loyal to Muammar Qaddafi push eastward, we are concerned that the brutal and indiscriminate tactics of government forces could lead to additional civilian casualties.

On Saturday, the Arab League endorsed Libyan opposition calls for a no fly zone.  We call on you to urgently institute a no fly zone over key Libyan cities and towns in conjunction with U.S. allies.  We also call on you to explore the option of targeted strikes against regime assets in an effort to prevent further bloodshed.  The United States should also immediately recognize the Libyan National Transitional Council and take all necessary actions to support their efforts to unseat the Qaddafi regime.

In your inaugural address two years ago, you said this: “And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born:  Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.”

Today the United States and its allies should stand with the men, women and children of Libya who seek a future of peace and dignity.  The situation in Libya in the coming days will not just impact the Libyan people.  As protests continue against repressive regimes around the world, the message currently being conveyed by our inaction is that killing and repression will go unpunished and are the best option for despots seeking to postpone reform.

For the sake of our security as well as America’s credibility with people who seek freedom everywhere, we ask you to act as quickly as possible to ensure that the people of Libya – and the world – know that we are willing to back up our principles with action.

Sincerely,

The worship of freedom blinds a democratist to the logical results of freedom’s application to countries that are professed enemies of the democratist’s own nation. John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  When John Adams said this, he likely didn’t have in mind a “religious people” who hate America and all of Christian Western Civilization.