More Good News from Syria!

While the left will undoubtedly try to focus on the negative aspects of the news coming out of Syria today, they will all be missing a very important piece of good news concerning the pro-oppression demonstrations which were driven and organized by Hezbollah (see International News Article | Reuters.com).

There is very little doubt that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization and that they have actively killed innocent people when given the chance. We all know the traditional tactics of the terrorist groups: hi-jackings, homicide-bombings, and other forms of terror directed primarily at innocent civilians, women, and children.

Many on the left have argued that terrorists resort to these tactics because they have no choice, and that the only way for them to be heard is to strike out at whatever targets they can with the limited weapons they have at their disposal.

Inspired by the Voices of Democracy in Lebanon over the paste few weeks with their peaceful demonstrations against the Syrian occupation, Hezbollah finally seems to have found another way to be heard. In an obvious attempt to emulate the tactics of their opposition, Hezbollah has staged massive protests against the withdrawal of Syria, one of their primary bases of support, from Lebanon.

So instead of homocide bombers killing innocent civilians we have flag waving and marching in the streets. To me that's good news. To me that's what democracy is all about, having your voice be heard without actually killing anyone. I would hope that my liberal counterparts would agree, but somehow I expect that they may have a different take on all of this. We can only hope that this new found desire to fight for their cause with words instead of bombs will continue.

There is also little doubt that none of this would even be happening if it weren't for the United States' leadership in the War on Terror, and the Iraqi reforms it is in the process of bringing about. As President Bush has said many times, a democratic Iraq will lead to an expansion of democracy throughout the entire region, and democracy is the best weapon we have in the War on Terror. It must be true because, at least for today, it seems to have turned the homocide bombers into a bunch of peaceful flag wavers. One small step for peace and democracy in the world.

Are the libs finally starting to "get it"?

Jonathan Freedland over at The Guardian wrote an opinion piece titled The war's silver lining in which he starts to come to the realization that the efforts of the United States, Great Britain, and the rest of the Coalition in Iraq just might have been right all along.

There seems to be a ground swell of such articles over the past month from the traditionally skeptical left-wing news sources. The recent events all over the middle east are clearly pointing in the direction of increased democracy for the region which should be good news for everyone.