Recall being told the war in Iraq would “pay for itself”? Neocons say the darnedest things...
Anyway, there is some seriously diseased thinking in hoping that democracy, even when free of corruption, will help to “transform” the middle-east or other trouble regions. Democracy is just a reflection of the values and whims of the voting population - take a good look at the values and whims of the unwashed masses in the middle east and someone honestly tell me that the results of an election will be good. If I said installing democracy within a prison or insane asylum would have a “transformative effect” on the inhabitants, I would rightly be ridiculed. But when the same is said of the middle-east, much chin-stroking, head-nodding, symposium-organizing, and government-planning occurs. Delusional, 100% delusional.
“They” are a nuisance to us because they can project power, they can project power because they have the wealth to do so, they have the wealth to do so because we buy oil from them, and we buy oil from them because there is no technological alternative to oil, and they have most of it (at least most of it for the right price). Democracy “solves” none of that. In Iran, we have one group of Islamic fundies rioting because another group of Islamic fundies won the election. Iwannajihad vs Iwannasmallahihad.
Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of decent people within Islamic nations, Iran especially. They are why I don’t advocate the glass parking lot approach. But minorities of the sane do not win elections against majorities of the insane. Wilsonianism is intellectually bankrupt and wholly inapplicable in the swaths of the world its proponents think it to be of the greatest utility.
Neutering AOPEC (via paradigm-shifting technological innovation) would hinder their ability project power. But corrupting their culture (via indirect media and other corporate channels) is basically our only shot at truly civilizing their Neanderthal majorities, short of British-style imperialism (no thanks - wars are expensive enough).
Excellent summary of the issue, without a lot of big edumacational ivy league words!
Praise to you.
What you said!