"Democratic revolution invariably surprises us"

Like democratic revolutions, superballs invariably surprise onlookers with sudden bursts of energy propelling them in directions never anticipated by man nor beast. Time and again our camera has caught Tiny looking in one direction while the superball has already bounced off somewhere else. Above, eye, paw and ball come together in a moment of triumph for our little Sunny Sunshine.

"Tyranny is the most unstable form of government, and democratic revolution invariably surprises us," Michael Ledeen told the House Committee on International Relations today [via Cardinalpark at Tigerhawk]:

If anyone had forecast a successful democratic revolution in the Ukraine, even three months before it occurred, most of us would have considered it a fantasy.

Nobody knows with certainty whether revolution can succeed in Iran, or, if it can, how long it will take. But tyrannies often fall with unexpected speed, and in recent years a surprising number of revolutions have toppled tyrants all over the world. Most of them got help from us. Most revolutions, including our own, required external support in order to succeed, and there is a widespread belief in Iran that a democratic revolution cannot defeat the mullahs unless it is supported by the United States. They are waiting for concrete signs of our support.

Support means, above all, a constant critique by our leaders of the regime's murderous actions, and constant encouragement of freedom and democracy. Too many of us have forgotten the enormous impact of Ronald Reagan's denunciation of the Soviet Union as an "evil empire." [We would never. --ed] The intellectual elite of this country condemned that speech as stupid and dangerous, yet the Soviet dissidents later told us that they considered it enormously important, because it showed that we understood the nature of the Soviet regime, and were committed to its defeat. In like manner, the Iranians need to see that we want an end to the Islamic Republic.

Speaking of stupid and dangerous, what is the matter with the intellectual elite of this country?

Comments

[Teresa]

"Speaking of stupid and dangerous, what is the matter with the intellectual elite of this country?"

They don't believe in evil.

[Tara]

The intellectual elite in this country believe in evil only when they can hold out America as guilty of it.

And if they can't hang evil on America, they'll condemn this country as being imperilialistic,oppressive and racist and uncaring toward to poor people.

We all know the drill.

[goomp]

The intellectual elite of the West are "AH". All hubris.

[TigerHawk]

Thank you, as always, for the link, but that was my delightful co-blogger Cardinalpark!

[andophiroxia]

"Speaking of stupid and dangerous, what is the matter with the intellectual elite of this country?"

They are too busy in their ivory towers sticking their long hair out of the tower, waiting for the prince.