In Damascus, they voted for George W. Bush

The Daily Star ^ | 4 December 2004 | Tyler Golson

[kupia_kummi]

While the results of this year's American election may have liberal Democrats and much of the extended international community shaking their heads in disbelief, a surprising number of Arabs seem to have not only expected President George W. Bush's return to power but also supported it.

Since I began teaching in Damascus six months ago, I have been continually surprised to find support and even admiration for Bush in that city, mixed in with the usual polemics about American imperialism. The presumed wildfire of anti-American and anti-Bush sentiment that has consumed much of Europe and Asia has apparently skipped over parts of the Arab world, where people often have more in common with Middle America than they do with the Middle East.

A few days after moving into my new home in the middle class Christian quarter of old Damascus, my landlady asked me whom I preferred between the two American presidential candidates. I replied, almost in passing, that of course I was voting for John Kerry. Besides being an Ivy League-educated New Englander and the son of extremely liberal parents, I was a foreigner and a guest in a country laboring under American economic sanctions. As a guest, surely I would be expected to distance myself from my own government, which had started a pre-emptive war against Syria's neighbor, denied considerable foreign investment to the Syrian economy and branded Damascus a "supporter of terrorism."

"I like Bush," she said, without a trace of irony. "He's a good man - a good Christian."

[demlosers]

On Monday, I will share this article with my university colleagues . . . it will absolutely ruin their day!!

LoL!

[maine-iac7]

On Monday, I will share this article with my university colleagues . . . it will absolutely ruin their day!!

LOL

And I hope it gets broad coverage here - it will heap "insult to injury" on the whimpering libs - Sanity is breaking open all over the world - that will really baffle them and, hopefully, drive them to go sulk in their corners - and say there

[prairiebreeze]

Having a truly even-handed and practical approach to peace in the Arab world means realizing that not everyone, and certainly not all of the elites in Arab society, sympathize with the anti-American movements taking place within their own ranks, and that these heartland Arabs could prove a valuable ally in future U.S.-Arab relations.

My God I hope so.

[sully777]

The teacher lived in the christian quarter, and the viewpoint is narrowed. But all in all, M.E. nations and people respect power. Bush 41 and 43 are respected for their use of power.

[okie01]

"But doesn't he scare you?" I asked finally, unable to contain my personal feelings and throwing the lesson plan out the window. "Because of Bush's ideas many people in my country think that all of you are terrorists."

This statement speaks volumes about the liberal mindset.

They are unable to make distinctions between friends and foes, so they assume that others can't either.

They fail to note that "the moron Bush" has always made this distinction: for "regime change in Iraq" but not for "war on Iraq". It must be too nuanced for them to grasp...

[Mo1]

Character Counts!!

Thanks for the ping

[jaykay]

Actually I would love to see the Democratic Underground reaction to this story.

[tkathy]

Real people recognize a leader when they see one.

[M Kehoe]

I hope Assad does a Qaddafi so I can visit Damascus one day. Beirut too.

5.56mm

[bill1952]

And thus I came to realize something that the Democrats could never admit:

that there exists a support base for both the Republicans' domestic and foreign agenda among the very people we thought most opposed current U.S. policy. The cultural background and value systems which inform many of these young Arabs' outlook on the world mean they will always favor men like Bush over men like Kerry.

The tenets of faith, family and, yes, "moral issues" determine the overall political leanings of a considerable number of the Middle East's future leaders, in rejection of Democratic stump issues like increased liberalism, internationalism and scientific progress...."

And this is a surprise to the intellectual elite of this country?
Shows how far the meaning of "educated" has fallen.
Totally decadent.

We need to take a type of "control" back over our system, but it doesn't look easy.

[Allegra]

The Iraqis supported Bush overwhelmingly, too. Every single Iraqi I interact with gushes about "President Boosh." They were delighted when he won.

We were just shocked that the U.S. media never seemed to make any mention of that. < /sarcasm >

[mewzilla]

I just loved this bit. From the link:

"But doesn't he scare you?" I asked finally, unable to contain my personal feelings and throwing the lesson plan out the window. "Because of Bush's ideas many people in my country think that all of you are terrorists." Rahaf and most of the others just shrugged. Maybe that was all true, they said, but he was still a good president.

[Reader of news]

President Bush will be remembered as the liberator of the Arab world.

[Larry381]

a liberal teaching in Syria?

Turds of a feather. Anyone want to bet this clown is more virulently anti-American than junior Assad.

[Reader of news]

A good web page to see:
http://www.muslimsforbush.com/

[AFPhys]

EXCELLENT insights, and from a (typically) leftist academician no less!

On Monday, I will share this article with my university colleagues . . . it will absolutely ruin their day!!

I intend to do the same... LOL

Personally, I really liked the passage: ... "But doesn't he scare you?" I asked finally, unable to contain my personal feelings and throwing the lesson plan out the window [stunned with disbelief]. "Because of Bush's ideas many people in my country think that all of you are terrorists." Rahaf and most of the others just shrugged. Maybe that was all true, they said, but he was still a good president.

I found these same sentiments expressed almost word for word in my two other classes. In addition, some of the most articulate students expressed intense misgivings about central Democratic electoral platforms, including gun control, limitation of the death penalty and especially abortion and gay rights. Just the word "homosexual" made many of them cringe and click their tongues in that uniquely Arab way of showing disapproval.

The liberals may be able to start understanding why they are losing, but I don't know if they will ever be able to accept it. BUT, I predict that this specific guy (gal?) will not be a liberal much longer.

[lepton]

While liberals seem to think that muslim hatred for America is a direct result of conservative ideals, it appears to me that muslims have greater problems with some pretty basic liberal ideologies.

Talk to a devout Muslim about Clinton. Our toleration of Clintons behavior in office is one of the big arguments of Americas irredeemable decadence.

[KwasiOwusu]

""Because of Bush's ideas many people in my country think that all of you are terrorists." "

These left wing academics still don't get it, do they?

Correction, should read:

"Because of 3000 slaughtered on 9/11 by Arab, Islamic terrorists, who have since then continued to slice off the heads of innocent American civilians on TV everyday, many people in my country think that all of you are terrorists"

What is so hard to understand about that?