Airstrip One

Let's be like Lebanon

I'm accused of being churlish when some former tyranny comes blinking into the light to be given democracy. I hate to disappoint and will not do so with Lebanon.

The "Cedar Revolution" - with all those nice new flags, American funding and pretty young students demonstrating does seem to be from a certain template. When writing this I thought, bet Justin Raimondo doesn't like it - and I checked, he doesn't (he also wonders about who killed that chap with the car bomb). All of this is rather true to form.

So being generally conservative I'll keep to the old routines by pointing out that Syria's presence in Lebanon is not entirely a bad thing to Israel, and so by extension America. After all last time the Syrians stood back neither the Israelis and the Americans came out well against a load of Shi'ite amateurs.

Of course, Lebanon is no Iraq. The Christian community, that has historically acted as a cultural and economic leaven in most Muslim countries, has not been persecuted to near zero. Lebanon does have a history of constitutional rule, even if not succesful, and so is more like Japan or Germany than Iraq or Afghanistan are. Things could go better here than in many other parts of the world. The lack of foreign troops (well, not foreign troops trying to impose democracy) probably helps, especially with Lebanon's amazing level of anti-Americanism.

Besides I've got a soft spot for countries that have the self confidence to tell foreign troops who've outstayed their welcome to go back home. Wouldn't it be remarkable if we developed the national self confidence of, oh, Lebanon or the Philipines?