Thursday, May 19, 2011

Translating Obama's speech

He said that the US supports "reform" and "transition to democracy" in the Arab world.  By reform, he means the repressive measures of the Bahrain dictatorship that his government has endorsed.  By transition to democracy, he means that the US fully supports democracy in Saudi Arabia and other monarchies provided the transition takes place over a period of at least two centuries.  Arabs are expected to cheer his words in the streets.