January 28, 2007 at 2:11 am
Advocates of the worldwide spread of freedom and democratic capitalism are having a good weekend from the normally unlikeliest of sources — the Washington Post editorial page.
Here’s Saturday’s editorial:
At 61, Mr. Ortega may understand something that Mr. Chávez, 52, and his would-be followers have yet to learn: Socialist economics are a recipe for impoverishment, while political power grabs tend to boomerang. The mini-bloc of Latin outliers poses little threat to the United States or the region’s overall stability. But even as their neighbors consolidate democratic institutions and unprecedented prosperity, the people of Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Cuba may be headed for a miserable year.
And here’s what the editorial page offers Sunday:
The Bush administration’s recent steps against Iran, which have included the dispatch of a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf and the arrest of Iranian agents in Iraq, have worried a lot of people in Washington, who fear that the White House may be gearing up for another war. Fortunately, some influential people in Tehran appear to be getting nervous, as well. The stock market is dropping, and capital flight is accelerating. Some influential voices have begun publicly suggesting that flexibility as well as toughness is needed in dealing with the West. Pressure is growing on radical President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has been rebuked by voters in recent elections, by parliamentary resolutions and by editorials in newspapers that reflect the views of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. All this suggests that the U.S. measures, compounded by a U.N. sanctions resolution, may be having an effect on the mullahs.
Even with the predictable qualifiers, these editorials are worthy of posting on freedom-lovers bulletin boards everywhere.
