Lebanon and White House democracy [Archives:2006/969/Opinion]
By: Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Maqaleh
The overflow of White House democracy lastly has reached Lebanon in the form of missiles and destructive bombs, killing innocent civilians and creating a state of unprecedented panic the Lebanese people never experience before. The Lebanese state of panic is paralleled with a magnificent state of challenge and unmatched national solidarity.
The question that may be asked regards the U.S. administration's intention in sending quantities of the latest weapons from its arsenal – via the Israeli entity – to Lebanon to destroy this beautiful small country. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Lebanon has formed an enlightening example of advanced democratic culture. The advanced democratic world should have worked to preserve it and respect its experiment.
The advanced democratic world shouldn't interfere in Lebanon's affairs in favor of the Zionist entity, whose aggressive existence has damaged the Arab region. The Israeli entity has led to trouble in the Arab region in the recent past and in the present and certainly will do the same again in the future to undermine every attempt at development and stability if the situation remains as it is now and the White House continues its stance of considering any aggression by this entity against Palestinians or other Arabs as an act of self-defense.
The White House's version of democracy spread in Iraq and Afghanistan presently has extended to Lebanon. One can't predict where this horrific democracy will stop, a democracy endeavoring to undermine any strong relationship between brethren, destroy historical bonds between religious sects, encourage civil wars and push peoples toward them. This isn't just happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also extends to Sudan, Somalia and other regions.
Despite the bitter and painful outcomes of this version of destructive democracy, the White House administration, with its conservative terrorist formation, is trying hard to convey this lethal democracy to a number of world capitals, particularly Arab ones. This administration repeatedly announces its willingness to convey its killing democracy, even to houses, without awaiting one word of gratitude.
If the present White House democracy isn't suited for Americans themselves, as expressed by the U.S. press and uneasiness on U.S. streets, then why does the conservative administration insist on generalizing this example? The worse image of this democracy has affected peoples who have been trying to adopt genuine democracy via their own effort without the need for any external help.
It's quite true what's believed by political scientists and those following up political movements in the Arab homeland. They conclude that the U.S. administration's direct intervention in Arab countries has aborted the natural motive for political reform, confused national sentiments and raised the assets of currents opposed to democracy and renewal.
Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Maqaleh is Yemen's prominent poet and intellectual. He is the director of the Yemeni Center for Studies
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[archive-e:969-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-08-03-p:opinion]
