Blogging for Freedom

It's a familiar story.  A small, strategically-located, country struggles with civil war and foreign occupation. Finally, after decades of unrest and violence, a nascient democracy is born.  Foreign troops are expelled and an effort is made to integrate the differing peoples into one representative nation.  General elections are held and the President of the United States hails this as proof that freedom is on the march in the Middle East.

In the year (and three months or so) this newly-elected democratic government held power, the economy rose, tourism rebounded and international investment in business, industry and the infrastructure strengthened.  A major issue, however, remained unresolved. A sectarian militia held power on it's border, threatening the safety and security of it's southern neighbor.  Historical, political and cultural issues made it difficult for the newly-formed democratic government to immediately disarm the militia. 

As violence escalated on both sides, the stronger, southern nation (which was one of the foreign occupiers for over 18 years) decided to up the ante by taking out civilian infrastructure in an effort to pressure the fledging government to go in with it's own troops and destroy the insurgent militia.  Unable to do this by itself, the leader of the small country asks for assistance from the international community. 

He pleads for cease-fire but the bombing continues. The nation's major airports, power plants, water treatment facilities, bridges, highways, apartment buildings, seaports are taken out.  Civilian deaths and injuries climb by the minute. State departments around the world begin massive evacuations of nationals vacationing or on business who are caught in the crossfire with no way out.

The United States of America should be screaming bloody murder about the carnage being wreaked on this small, fragile democratic nation.  Right?  Certainly, in Iraq, the central government cannot control sectarian militias even with the military might of 130,000 US troops.  In Afghanistan, Karzai's influence barely extends beyonds Kabul.  In both cases, the United States is in-country with aid, support and supplies to keep the infant governments viable.

But no, in GW-world, this little country is different somehow.  Whatever Israel thinks it needs to do then ... whatever.

Let me say it again. If traditions are honored in which the US has historically defended small, struggling sovereign democracies from overwhelming military assault by a foreign nation, then the government of the United States of America should be screaming bloody murder about the carnage being wreaked on the small, fragile democratic nation of Lebanon.