W's World

Atrios makes a similar point to one we made in this post from last Tuesday. In short, Bush should stop his gloating and keep his mouth shut because by taking responsibility for democratic opposition movements in the Middle East, he undercuts them.

A big problem with the administration flunkies and their assorted allies in the commentariat giving credit to George W. Bush for all nice-sounding political happenings in the world is that doing so aligns whatever political movement with the US and the Bush administration, and knocks the legs out from under it. This shouldn't be too difficult to comprehend. Just as opposition to the Bush administration is characterized as "pro-saddam" or whatever in this country, as long as political oppposition movements in other countries can be painted as "pro-US" or "pro-Bush" or even as being directly funded by the US they can be deligitimized (or branded as traitors).

...Case in point

In Damascus, tens of thousands of people took over the main streets, singing national songs and proclaiming their loyalty to President Bashar Assad. One banner addressed to the president read: "We are all with you, who makes the right decisions."

Thousands of Syria's red, white and black flags with its two green stars streamed in the wind. "We sacrifice our blood and our souls for you, oh Bashar!" chanted marchers in the upscale Mezzeh neighborhood,

"Nobody can get Syria out from Lebanon's heart and mind," a banner read. "No for antagonist pressures against Syria," read another.

The rally came a day after Syria's allies in Lebanon made a thundering show of their strength, with hundreds of thousands turning out for a protest organized by the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah guerrilla group to denounce pressure from the United States, France and the United Nations (news - web sites).