Inspired by this incredibly silly post, I thought I’d recommend an old but prescient article from Ross Douthat on the all-but-inevitable recovery of Bush’s foreign policy reputation. It is staggering to think that a President who embroiled the nation in one of the most irresponsible wars in our history would live to see the rehabilitation of his legacy, but time, it seems, softens the memory and heals all wounds. Take it away, Rob Long:
If events in Tunisia have inspired events in Egypt, what inspired the events in Tunisia?
Hard to say, of course. But perhaps a small nod and a tip of the hat is due to the diabolical neo-cons, and the naive president they conned into trying this absurd gamble on democracy.
Long is literally asserting causation between Tunisia’s nascent democratic movement and the invasion of Iraq. That’s it. I’d say more, but Douthat perfectly anticipated this development two years ago:
The Bush administration has often seemed bent on vindicating, in the short run and by force of arms, Francis Fukuyama’s famous long-term prediction that liberal democracy will ultimately triumph. Now Bush’s hopes for vindication depend on the Middle East’s following a gradual, Fukuyaman track toward free markets, democratic government, and the “end of history.” And just as crucially, they depend on American troops’ staying in Iraq for as long as it takes for that to happen. If these events come to pass—if the Iraq of 2038 or so is stable, democratic, and at peace with its neighbors, and if American troops have maintained a constant presence in the country—no one should be surprised to hear hawkish liberals as well as conservatives taking up the idea that George W. Bush deserves a great deal of the credit.
I do not mean to suggest that this is a likely outcome, or that it would be a just one. The cost of the Iraq War, in lives and dollars and squandered opportunities, ought to far outweigh the possibility that a long-term American presence might push the Middle East in a direction it was headed anyway. But when things work out in the long run—and especially when we can claim the credit—Americans tend to forgive their leaders for the crimes and errors of the moment.
Long et all are grasping at straws. I see no causal connection between Iraq and Tunasia at all. If Iraq had not been invaded do we think that Tunasia wouldn’t have happened? I don’t see why that would follow.Report
You know who could best answer this question? The Tunisians. Has anybody asked them yet?
Incidentally, I did ask my sister in Morocco if they’re going to have anything like that happen over there and her answer was: “ummm…it doesn’t seem like it- but we don’t get a whole lotta news, and that Tunisian thing happened very quickly– so maybe.
Moroccans might just be too lazy- and the whole Royal family thing is quite powerful – so probably not. ”
You read it here first.Report
You know who could best answer this question? The Tunisians. Has anybody asked them yet?
(Makes a note to ask.)Report
It’ll turn out to be a revolution because the government made khat illegal or something.
Everybody will be talking about Jacobin Ideals or Neocons or American seeds of democracy but, no.
It’s about weed, man.Report
Seeds and stems of democracy.Report
Well since there has been absolutely no history of democracy, popular revolts, revolutions or demonstrations in any Arab or Muslim country in like ever, of course The Bush should get the credit for what Tunisians are doing.Report
Well said. There is absolutely no historical equivalent to recent events in North Africa. HA!Report
I think that depends on just how long the time period you call “like ever” is. I recall a popular revolt in Iran a year and a half ago, but that was post-invasion of Iraq, so I guess that might be credited to Bush as well.
Pre-G.W. Bush? Well… there was the Indonesian revolution in 1998 that ousted Suharto… the Kurdish and Shiite uprisings against Saddam in ’91… the first and second Sudanese Civil Wars that went from the early ’80s to the 2000s… the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran… anyway, that’s a few.Report
Somewhat strangely, folks have already given credit for Tunisa to Wikileaks so why not give some of it to Bush? He probably had more to do with it than Wikileaks did.Report
And how exactly is that? At least people giving credit to wikileaks make supporting assertions. How do you think Bush’s excellent adventures caused or contributed to the Tunisian uprising? Just because it’d give the neocons an excuse to sidle out of the corner where they’ve been standing with their asses smarting since 2006 doesn’t mean it’s true.Report
My comment was a joke. I don’t think either Wiki or Bush made a damn bit of difference.Report
So can our troops come home now?Report
Surely they can. Can we end the drug war when they get back?Report
But if you do that it will influence other countries and before you know it they’ll be growing marijuana in north Africa!Report
OMG not that! I recant! I recant!Report
What, just when the cunning plan is starting to work?Report