President Bush is "visionary" and Wisonian

Submitted by Steve Klein (United States), Jul 24, 2007 at 13:06

I believe it was a column soon after the 2003 American occupation of Iraq that Dr. Pipes suggested the most reasonable plan for stabilizing Iraq. President Bush has proven himself remarkably left-leaning in the most contermporary sense, in that he appears to believe all cultures are inherently the same. In other words, Iraqis and Palestinians want the same things for their families and their children as Americans and Israelis want for theirs.

It would appear, much of the Muslim-Arab world is not prepared for self-government. Peoples are restive, Islam is paramount. Thus they need a firm leader. Perhaps not the sadistic sort of leader Saddam was but a strong leader nonetheless.

Pipes recommended installing an America-friendly "strong-man" in Saddam Hussein's place to stabilize Iraq. I thought then and still believe this is the only kind of governance that will work in much of the Muslim-Arab world at this point in history. Democracy has not worked for the Palestinian Authority. It will not work in Iraq.

Still, Mr. Bush stubbornly persists. "Islam means peace. Arabs are ready for self government."

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