The Middle East

um - It may be that the US would like the ME to reform itself democratically and it may be that the "master plan" involved reforming Iraq and hoping democracy takes off but that's a far cry from expecting us to do it for you. People. Democracy in the Arab World, a U.S. Goal Falters is the headliner in todays NYTimes.
If the people of the ME want democracy they are going to have to think long term. Bush won't be in office all that much longer and Americans have only so much patience. And for half the country, that is already running thin.

The slowdown comes at a critical time for the Bush administration, which has been increasingly seen as weakened both at home and abroad by its occupation of Iraq. Many Arab leaders appear to be betting that the American public is losing its appetite for major interventions, giving them a freer hand.

This isn't about Bush.