This is a striking piece from a fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute celebrating democracy in the Muslim-majority world as a way to bring Islamist regimes to power.

The promise of Islamic democracy offers something different. It holds out the possibility that, for the first time since the early caliphs, there will be an organic, reciprocal relationship between Muslim leaders and their communities. This could end Islam’s long history of rebellious violence and redirect the faith’s unrequited struggle to produce more virtuous men. It could give Middle Eastern Muslims some of the elemental, non-threatening pride and self-confidence that Americans, the oldest modern democrats, have in spades.

I completely agree, but isn't this an interesting bit of revisionist history for the Bush doctrine? Gallantly defeating the evil secularist Saddam Hussein so that good pious Islamists can bring back the caliphate. Why didn't we think of that in 2003? [go!]

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