The Vindication of George Bush Continues

President George W. Bush was ridiculed for his idea that democracy in Iraq could take hold, flourish and spread. The liberal intelligentsia scoffed at the redneck cowboy from Texas and his un-nuanced line of thinking. In their minds, the only way to get any change was through negotiations (now it's unconditional negotiations). This in spite of the fact that Ronald Reagan proved the exact opposite 20-odd years ago.

Here's the proof that Bush was right:

Regardless of whether the current Iranian regime survives the uprising it provoked with its sham election, the events in Tehran are the latest affirmation of a pretty darn happy fact:

The first year of the post-Bush era is turning out to be a triumphant one for neoconservatism.

It is deliciously ironic that a doctrine America supposedly rejected, even though few really knew what it was, has emerged as a set of principles no one seriously questions as the world evolves to prove its wisdom. Indeed, in order to escape the political firestorm that nearly engulfed him this week, President Obama had to finally give in and talk like a neocon.

The liberal establishment and some conservatives laughed at Bush for his inane concepts, concepts that have borne fruit. Here's the gist:

...Now let’s deal with the one actually pursued by the administration of George W. Bush with the support of publications like The Weekly Standard and Commentary. The real neoconservatism simply held that the United States should support the advance of freedom and liberty throughout the world, wherever it can. It further posited that freedom and liberty are the God-given birthright of all people, and that – given the opportunity – people will always choose to be free. It further posited that when people become free, others see it, envy it and want it too.

The primary action for the United States in all this is to support democratic movements. Somewhere along the line, critics came to conflate this with the U.S. invading other countries and forcing them to accept our form of government. In fact, the two invasions that occurred during the Bush Administration were exceptions to the rule of how neoconservative goals are best achieved. We invaded Afghanistan in retaliation for the 9/11 attacks because the people who ruled that nation were harboring our attackers. We invaded Iraq because Saddam Hussein was in violation of the terms of the Gulf War cease fire agreement of 1991, and the United Nations sure as hell wasn’t going to do anything about it.

Please read the entire, excellent piece.

The overarching fact is that it worked in Iraq. How well? Well enough that Shiite leader Grand Ayatollah Sistani slammed the mullahcracy in Iraq and may well pave the way for a successful overthrow of the oppressive junta in that nation.

The Bush Legacy: Iraqi's Go to the Polls

You haven't heard much in the MSM because they've essentially stopped reporting anything from Iraq save a large bombing. Even when they do report about it, it's with a negative spin. They're pissed that George W. Bush had the nerve to order the surge and give Gen David Petraeus the tools needed to win. They wanted a loss and once it appeared we were victorious, all reporting stopped.

The Iraqi's are returning to the polls for provincial elections for the first time in four years. Expect much different results this time as the majority Sunni population will be out in force whereas last time they boycotted the elections.

Baghdad: Iraqis went to polls on Saturday to vote in the country's provincial elections, with a massive participation from Sunni Arabs and women, a candidate told Gulf News.

Ammar Al Zobaie, a Sunni Islamic Party's candidate in Fallujah, said many Sunni Arabs participated in the elections.
"Sunni Arabs [want] to redress the harm suffered by the Sunni cities because of their non-participation in the previous elections in 2005, which led to the suspension of development projects," Al Zobaie said.

Note I had to link to Gulf News to get any type of positive spin.

Another report, this one from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, shows the exuberance of the Iraqi people:

A correspondent for RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq, Adel Mahmoud, reported from Baghdad that spirits among residents and voters were "very high" around midday, with sunny skies contributing to the possibility of a high turnout in a vote that is seen as a bellwether for the national mood and a possible breakthrough in local governance for Iraqis.

Mahmoud said sectarian tensions that plagued the last vote were not in evidence and "the general atmosphere is like some kind of festival."

Our men and women who serve valiantly deserve the credit for this historic day. Their hard work, day in and day out, has given birth to a vibrant democracy in a place where one never existed before.

Congratulations to the Iraqi's as well.

Sunni Bomb Kills 11 in Iran

Iranian "rebels" exploded a bomb-rigged car in southeastern Iran today:

Iran suffered a rare bomb attack on its own territory today when an explosion killed at least 11 soldiers from the Revolutionary Guard.

The men were travelling on a bus in the town of Zahedan in south-eastern Iran when the blast occurred at about 6.30am. A booby-trapped car was positioned to destroy the vehicle carrying the Revolutionary Guards.

I can only say that turnabout is fair play. The Iranians have been propping up al-Sadr and others who have killed numerous U.S. soldiers and Marines using exactly these methods.

Here's the line of the day:

Iran has frequently accused America and Britain of supplying rebel groups with cash and weapons in order to cause unrest.

Payback is sweet. I think that if America and our allies could continue to filter weapons into Iran to be used by the Sunni minority, we could foment a civil war or a coup. At the very least, we'd make the statement that we can make things very uncomfortable for the Ayatollah's if they don't desist from arming our enemies in Iraq.