The Advance of Hope in the Middle East

President Bush delivered an important and brilliantly written speech at National Defense University yesterday:

The advance of hope in the Middle East requires new thinking in the region. By now it should be clear that authoritarian rule is not the wave of the future; it is the last gasp of a discredited past. It should be clear that free nations escape stagnation, and grow stronger with time, because they encourage the creativity and enterprise of their people. It should be clear that economic progress requires political modernization, including honest representative government and the rule of law. And it should be clear that no society can advance with only half of its talent and energy -- and that demands the full participation of women.

As usual, it reads better than it sounded. But read the whole thing. As Hindrocket* at Powerline says, "Bush makes more important and coherent arguments in his major speeches than any President in my lifetime." Well, at least since Ronald Reagan.

Monk


* Hindraker needs a new nom de blog; "hindrocket" sounds a bit too Fab Five for my taste.