Thinkers in the pentagon and the White House believed the fact that the United States already had a vastly superior and technologically advanced military made the unilateral action part of the doctrine reasonable and achievable.
But the part of the doctrine that seems the most difficult to achieve, and the part that is the most ill defined, is the concept of "extending democracy, liberty, and security to all regions."
Just how are we supposed to do that?
One partial answer is to ramp up the "war of hearts and minds," but as we have written about many times, this effort has been totally dismissed as a failure.
Even the president himself expressed dismay and frustration on the war of hearts and minds. On August 29, 2006, President George W. Bush told NBC News reporter Brian Williams, "We are great with TV but we are getting crushed on the P.R. [Public Relations] front."
But the battle of hearts and minds waged by the enemy is another story.
In a Los Angeles Times Op Ed published September 13, 2006, Max Boot wrote, "The witches' brew of repression, stagnation and governmental incompetence found in many Middle Eastern countries leaves the mosque as the only place where dissent can be aired and social services delivered."
Case in point: Hezbollah. The central government of Lebanon in Beirut has been so incompetent and uncaring, so unable of delivering services, that Hezbollah fills the void.
In southern Lebanon, it is Hezbollah, not the government Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, that collects taxes, runs the schools, provides elderly care and a host of other services. The entry fee for this system of benefits is loyalty to Hezbollah. The Hezbollah mantra of extremism and hatred for Israel is preached in the mosques.
The Taliban and Saddam Hussein have been toppled and the president often praises the new leadership teams in Afghanistan and Iraq for their commitment to democracy, but not only is it not yet clear yet that lasting democracies will be created; but the region of the Middle East is still predominately a place ruled by dictators rooted in Islam who have a firm grip on the "hearts and minds" of the people.
The president never worked very hard to convince Hosni Mubarak in Egypt that a more democratic outlook was a good idea. The Royal Family of the House of Saud has gotten a free ride altogether. And with Pakistan, it seems that the Bush team has been so delighted that President Musharraf at least helps somewhat in the war on terror that they give him carte blanche.
President Bush has not withheld a penny of Mubarak's $1.8 billion in annual U.S. aid to Egypt. Nor has he encouraged Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf toward more freedom and democracy. Pakistan has gotten $4.5 billion from the U.S. and its allies since 2001.
We aren't saying that the U.S. should go to war with all Middle East nations who do not embrace democracy, but we are pointing out that there are ways to influence reforms.
Maybe we haven't fully understood the regional center of gravity. Perhaps we have ill defined the enemy and the problems we face. Certainly we can do better in the "hearts and minds" campaign.
But the part of the doctrine that seems the most difficult to achieve, and the part that is the most ill defined, is the concept of "extending democracy, liberty, and security to all regions."
Just how are we supposed to do that?
One partial answer is to ramp up the "war of hearts and minds," but as we have written about many times, this effort has been totally dismissed as a failure.
But the battle of hearts and minds waged by the enemy is another story.
In a Los Angeles Times Op Ed published September 13, 2006, Max Boot wrote, "The witches' brew of repression, stagnation and governmental incompetence found in many Middle Eastern countries leaves the mosque as the only place where dissent can be aired and social services delivered."
Case in point: Hezbollah. The central government of Lebanon in Beirut has been so incompetent and uncaring, so unable of delivering services, that Hezbollah fills the void.
In southern Lebanon, it is Hezbollah, not the government Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, that collects taxes, runs the schools, provides elderly care and a host of other services. The entry fee for this system of benefits is loyalty to Hezbollah. The Hezbollah mantra of extremism and hatred for Israel is preached in the mosques.
The Taliban and Saddam Hussein have been toppled and the president often praises the new leadership teams in Afghanistan and Iraq for their commitment to democracy, but not only is it not yet clear yet that lasting democracies will be created; but the region of the Middle East is still predominately a place ruled by dictators rooted in Islam who have a firm grip on the "hearts and minds" of the people.
The president never worked very hard to convince Hosni Mubarak in Egypt that a more democratic outlook was a good idea. The Royal Family of the House of Saud has gotten a free ride altogether. And with Pakistan, it seems that the Bush team has been so delighted that President Musharraf at least helps somewhat in the war on terror that they give him carte blanche.
President Bush has not withheld a penny of Mubarak's $1.8 billion in annual U.S. aid to Egypt. Nor has he encouraged Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf toward more freedom and democracy. Pakistan has gotten $4.5 billion from the U.S. and its allies since 2001.
We aren't saying that the U.S. should go to war with all Middle East nations who do not embrace democracy, but we are pointing out that there are ways to influence reforms.
Maybe we haven't fully understood the regional center of gravity. Perhaps we have ill defined the enemy and the problems we face. Certainly we can do better in the "hearts and minds" campaign.
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