Sunday, February 20, 2011

American blinders on?

Do people still believe that the US is the champion of democracy in the world even after learning that the US has supported Mubarak with 2 billion dollars every year (including 1.3 billion in military support)?

Do people still believe the US is promoting good governance even after learning that they support the current corrupt and oppressive (to varying degrees) regimes in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel, Algeria and Bahrain?

Do people still believe the US helps to promote smooth transitions to democracy after learning that they supported military coups in Tunisia, (recently reversed!) Algeria, and oversaw the transition of power from father (who was assassinated) to son in Lebanon?

(And we haven't even started to talk historically, or to mention Iraq or Iran.)

Hell, the US even started giving money to Gaddafi in 2009!

Surely the truth must be coming out now. I refuse to believe that someone could credit the US's involvement in the Middle East for the peoples' uprisings these days.

It is also quite clear (if you check this graph) that the US has and will continue to use more military funding to bolster tis to autocratic regimes, than it has to back up the clamor you always hear about liberalization and democracy:

FMF = Foreign Military Funding


And yes, I do mean the Gaddafi: the madman, the tyrant, the Berlusconi of the Middle East (if Berlusconi were a little more prone to pogrom):




Then again, there is nothing like a good ol' virgin female bodyguard troope eh boys?




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