It's definitely too early to be self-congratulatory, and nobody should kid themselves into thinking that the transformation is going to be complete overnight. However, it's not a matter of whether or not it's going to happen, it's just a matter of when.
Some time in about five to ten years from now, Bush's strident opponents and mockers are going to look every bit the bunch of fools as Reagan's did after the Wall came down and Eastern Europe was finally freed. The Arab tyrannies are just as doomed to eventually go on the ash heap of history.
I certainly hope you are right. However, Arab tyranny has a 1500 year history whereas Communist Totalitarianism was a relative Johnny-come-lately. That's not to belittle Reagan's accomplishment by any means. The Soviet menace was more subtle but far more deadly than the threat from Arabic Islam.
If a short taste of Democracy and freedom is all that is needed to overcome 15 centuries of cultural indoctrination, then I will be very impressed. The cynic in me doubts that very much, though.
Excellent point... I'd like to remind them that from the Declaration of Independence to the ratification of the Constitution in the US took 11 years...
And they're still demanding a "timetable" for us to withdraw from Iraq. Idiots!
Mark