Wrongfooted

[poliphilo]

For all that our journalists and politicians are always banging on about muslims, I don't remember anyone predicting the Arab revolution. Western leaders were so completely wrong-footed by it that their first reaction was to make cooing noises at the dictators- with Sarkozy going so far as to offer to help Ben Ali out by sending him some of his surplus riot police.

It was often said that the dictators were a necessary evil because they kept the mullahs down, but the uprisings- all of them- have been led by secular youth- with not a mullah in sight. It was also often said that Arabs are primitive (but noble) tribal folk who don't understand or want democracy...

Comments

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

American "journalists" are about 95% liberal

Could you support that statement? Also, if you could provide the criteria by which you determine which journalist is "liberarl", I should appreciate that as well.

Thank you.

[veronikos.livejournal.com]

I will pass. It is just opinion, and I have no desire to enter a debate.