Democracy, the rubes seem to eat it up.

Crooks and Liars:

After the president’s rationale(s) for the war in Iraq fell apart, the White House crafted a post-hoc rationalization for the invasion — the United States was committed, above all else, to spreading democracies and toppling dictators across the globe. For Bush, this met our idealistic goals (spreading freedom), and our practical goals (more democracy means better security).

It was always a dubious proposition, more politically convenient than ideologically heartfelt. Indeed, for all of the president’s talk about democracy being “God’s gift to humanity,” there’s no evidence Bush takes his own principles seriously at all. After Pervez Musharraf’s recent crackdown, which including arrest Supreme Court justices and shutting down independent media, Bush praised Musharraf as “truly is somebody who believes in democracy.” He did not appear to be kidding.

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