[gusopol3]

what Bush passed over in his speech is that it is the autocratic regimes in Cairo, Riyadh and Amman that hold back the pent-up animosity toward America and Israel, and free elections that have advanced Hamas, Hezbollah, the Moslem Brotherhood and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.

the autocratic regimes aren't holding back pent up anger against Israel and America, they are holding back pent up anger against themselves, using Wahabists, etc., as a safety valve to direct anger outward to inconsequential "issues" like the existence of Israel or the Great Satan.

[dirtboy]

and free elections that have advanced Hamas, Hezbollah, the Moslem Brotherhood and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.

First of all, IMO the election of Hamas was a good thing. It meant the Palestinians could no longer play the Fatah good cop/Hamas bad cop routine. Now it is crystal clear the Palestinian people do not seek to co-exist with Israel, but destroy it. And Israel has had nearly free reign to deal with Hamas as a result.

Hezbollah is powerful not because it won 20 percent of the vote, but because of Syria's continued political influence over Lebanon. Take away Syria, and Hez would be a non-entity.

And Ahmadinejad was not elected in a fair and free election. If you believe he was, well, we really ain't on the same page of reality, and you must dwell in Pat's.

[dirtboy]

Sorry about that snark that was directed at you, I thought the non-italicized stuff was your comments.