As Arabs spread democracy, we prop up Afghan, Pakistan regimes
(NEWSER) - Democracy is on the march across the Arab world, so "What are we doing spending $110 billion this year supporting corrupt and unpopular regimes in Afghanistan and Pakistan that are almost identical to the governments we’re applauding the Arab people for overthrowing?" asks Thomas Friedman in the New York Times . The problem, he says, is that the authoritarian governments that run most of the Middle East liked the specter of radical Islam, finding it a useful excuse to justify their harsh rule. They claim to be fighting violent extremism, but in reality, "they are nurturing the devil." More»
