[Olog-hai]

The libs were all happy when the NIE saying that Iran was no longer working on nukes came out. Wonder if they will listen when the same entity becomes the bearer of bad news rather than their favored propaganda?

[stylin19a]

Clapper is on the cutting edge of hindsight.

[Pollster1]

Is there even one sensible observer who expected any other outcome?

[Check6]

No sh*t?

[PGalt]

"The “Arab spring” has benefited Islamists rather than democracy advocates, while political transitions and unrest in the region have provided opportunities for terrorists to mount attacks against U.S. interests, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told lawmakers Tuesday. …"

This clown should've quit after he invented that handclap light-on/light-off thing for seniors...

...sheesh

[Bratch]

[Cyber Liberty]

Clapper always did have a grasp of the blindingly obvious.

[Sherman Logan]

The “Arab spring” has benefited Islamists rather than democracy advocates

When Americans talk about democracy, we are generally conflating two distinct things.

1. A civil society with individual rights.

2. Rule by the majority of the people, usually by means of free elections.

This is because we assume, without anything even vaguely resembling evidence, and despite a great deal of evidence to the contrary, that if #2 is in effect the people will always choose to implement #1.

But a society with #1 but without #2 is theoretically possible, and indeed has existed to varying degrees at different times in history.

And various regimes have been wildly popular with their people, and even had more or less free elections, but did not implement #1.

IMO #1 is the goal, and #2 merely the historically most effective way of implementing it. But as we have seen in Iran and Egypt, free elections do not necessarily translate to freedom for individuals.

All of this is based on the American faith that "the people" can't be wrong. Which is of course utter nonsense.