Our Changing Globe

One of the most refreshing things about George W. Bush’s memoirs, "Decision Points" is his honesty about his failings, and his unexaggerated comments on his successes, and there is much that Obama could learn from the book if he’d were willing to take on board at least some of what’s written there.

In the book Bush describes:

The basis for his key personnel appointments.

His stem cell policy.

The decision to take the fight to Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11

The mismanagement of Hurricane Katrina.

The economic blunders made before and during his tenure.

And he also highlights how his unpopular decision to implement the "surge" in Iraq turned out to be a crucial triumph in the “war on terror".

The Bush Doctrine – According to Bush

Beyond specific decisions and various turning points, his doctrine as noted in his book consisted of four main elements:

First, make no distinction between the terrorists and the nations that harbor them – and hold both to account.

Second, take the fight to the enemy before they can attack America.

Third, confront threats before they fully materialize.

Fourth, advance liberty and hope as an alternative to the ideology of repression and fear – His “Freedom Agenda".

The fourth agenda, which was perhaps the overriding one of the four was greatly influenced by the writings of Nathan Saransky and Ron Dermer.

Bush refused to accept that "the peoples of the Middle East were somehow beyond the reach of liberty", and he believed and perhaps still does that freedom is a universal objective that can, and should be obtained by all.

The Middle East revolution that began in Tunisia less than a month ago, and subsequently led to bloody protests and demonstrations in Yemen and Egypt may or may not lead to blossoming democracies, but for that to happen, lessons from mistakes made in Iran in 1979 and again in 2009 must be learned.

In 1979, President Carter stood embarrassingly idle, and in some ways tacitly encouraged the Islamic revolution that replaced the Shah, and in 2009 President Obama also stood idle as a popular uprising was struck down by the brutal Iranian authorities.

What Does Obama Need To Do?

This time around, if real democratic freedom is to be engendered in the Middle East, then President Obama will need to confront freedom’s enemies and not turn his back on America’s long term allies.

Democratic elections are only one element of freedom and, human rights, checks and balances, equal opportunity for all and the separation between religion and state are all indispensable freedom factors.

Iran and Gaza clearly show that a one-time democratic election can lead to the disaster of legitimized dictatorship, and there is every chance that elections in Egypt could lead to the spread of Sharia law rather than to the democratic rule of law throughout the Middle East.

* sharia –
n. (Islam) code of law based on the Koran; holy laws of the Islam which cover aspects of day-to-day life

Time, perspective and hindsight are required when passing verdict on a presidency, and history will judge Bush for the doctrine he set and the eventual success or failure of its implementation.

Truman, Reagan and Bush

When Truman left office in 1953 his approval ratings were in the twenties, but today he is viewed as one of America’s great presidents. Reagan was once ridiculed as a diplomatic dunce but will be remembered by most as the "Great Communicator" who won the Cold War and Bush may eventually be regarded as the best president of our time.

And Obama?

Obama’s agenda has alienated all of America’s previous staunch allies and gained no new ones, and his economic policies, unless halted by the Republicans will lead the country to bankruptcy by 2020.

Obama is far from stupid and the question is not, "Is he able to learn from Bush’s errors?", but, "How would he apply that learning?".

Until a recent five point drop in the polls and a pummeling from both politicians and journalists, it appeared the he would much prefer the Muslim Brotherhood to Mubarak.

Obama carefully hid his tracks and his policies and intentions are still not clearly understood, but how he eventually responds to the present crisis in the Middle East will provide many clues.