This speech at the National of Endowment for Democracy is a must read for any student of the Middle East today. It provides some context for Bush's foreign policy and the direction of the war on terror. He sees himself as Reagan saw himself 20 years ago in a speech at Westminister Palace, bearing witness to a turning point in history: the failure of the then threat to freedom and democracy (Soviet communism) because it had denied its people the dignity and creativie power of individual freedom. Reagan's moral advocacy helped to usher in a "great democratic movement" that spread throughout Europe and other parts of the world. Today, Bush wants to do the same for the Middle East. And the door is open in Iraq and Afghanistan.
UPDATE:
Christian D. Brose has a worthy caution to Bush's opitimism.
William Safire has some high praise for it. (Registration probably required.)
Fareed Zakaria calls it "Bush's Really Good Idea" (Be sure to check out some of his other provocative and good articles in his Archives.)
Daniel Pipe's commentary in the Jerusalem Post is titled: "Bush the Radical".
MORE:
British blogger, Oliver Kamm, in light of Bush's arrival in London tomorrow, gives his praise. He says that Bush has become the true progressive:
"George W. Bush comes to this country as head of state of the world's leading democracy and our most important ally. He is also the principal heir to a progressive tradition that regards political liberty as universal and that considers the first task of foreign policy to be to spread it rather than overlook its absence. He is accordingly a theorist, spokesman and figurehead for the ideals of the liberal Left; he merits the gratitude of those of us who would adhere to them."
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