The Washington Post reports on budgetary pressure on democracy building in the Middle East.
While President Bush vows to transform Iraq into a beacon of democracy in the Middle East, his administration has been scaling back funding for the main organizations trying to carry out his vision by building democratic institutions such as political parties and civil society groups.
The administration has included limited new money for traditional democracy promotion in budget requests to Congress. Some organizations face funding cutoffs this month, while others struggle to stretch resources through the summer. The shortfall threatens projects that teach Iraqis how to create and sustain political parties, think tanks, human rights groups, independent media outlets, trade unions and other elements of democratic society.
Colin Powell told Bush the Pottery Barn rule: “You break it, you bought it” and Bush is effectively saying, “No, it is just stock shrikage.” Bush, et. co., decided to go to war in Iraq to establish the political capital they thought they needed to enact sweeping changes to American domestic policy, such as tax cuts. And more tax cuts. Now, there isn’t enough money in the budget for democracy building in Iraq and the Middle East, but there is more money for tax cuts? From where does this money come? By doubling the national debt.