Friday, July 21, 2006

Patronizing Arab Minds

At Strategy Page:
...despite the moral, military and intelligence advantages of Israel, Hizbollah is confident that growing European anti-Semitism (and anti-Israeli attitudes), media willingness to portray Hizbollah as a victim, and Lebanese unwillingness to do anything that would risk another civil war (the last went from 1975 to 1990), they can survive anything the Israelis throw at them, and come out a winner (in the minds of Arabs, at the very least).

Five years ago such an analysis would have been difficult to argue with. In the meantime, however, millions have been liberated from authoritarian rule in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many millions more are seething with democratic aspirations, having experienced the terror and emptiness of Islamist rule. Will the Arabs fall for the hate-Israel-not-your-own-oppressor line again?

Time will tell. If the Iranians don't nuke everybody first, that is.

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