On Evil Empires

In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan announced a plan to defeat the Soviet Union and the threat of communism.  He was confident that Western values of freedom would beat Soviet repression; he was confident that people living in countries ruled by tyrants wanted to be free.  See here and here and here.  He was widely ridiculed at the time.  Within four years of the time he left office, the Communist Empire collapsed.  He was right.

Twenty years later, George W. Bush announced a plan to defeat Islamic Terrorists.  He was confident that Western values of freedom would beat Islamic repression; he was confident that people living in countries ruled by tyrants wanted to be free.  So confident, in fact, that he led a fight for 8 years in Afghanistan and Iraq.  He was widely ridiculed at the time  Within four years of the time he left office...Tunisia, Egypt, Libya...and counting.  Do we have to say that Bush was right?

Oh, and by the way, Reagan was Bush's forerunner in the battle against Islamic terrorists.  See here (in 1986, Reagan notes that a certain Libyan strongman needs to go--who knew?) or here.

Unfortunately, it's not all triumphant in the news.  As dictators fall across the region, it matter a great deal who comes out on top afterwards.  See Iran, 1979.  So, where oh where is the US in helping the right people attain power?  Why exactly did the US government seem to be more interested in removing the leader of Egypt than the leader of Libya?  Where is the US as Libyans are being murdered by their own ruler?  Is it really all that complicated to destroy the airfields in Libya from which helicopters are being sent out to gun down the people and mercenaries from other countries are being flown in to aid in the killing?