by Rami G. Khouri

Tom Paine

01/24/05

President George W. Bush's inauguration speech Thursday left most people in the Middle East unimpressed and unmoved, and more concerned than ever about U.S. foreign policy directions. The prevalent reaction in this region was that he has merely raised the level of American double standards in the world to a new level of incredulity, given the massive gap between America's rhetorical commitment to democracy and freedom and the reality of its often whimsical foreign policy priorities.

Five specific problems in Bush's speech stand out starkly in the eyes of observers in the Middle East. The first is that Bush's ringing endorsement of freedom and liberty ... do not necessarily match the priorities of most people in the developing world, where national liberation, development, dignity, justice and meeting basic human needs tend to be much more urgent and common demands...

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Informant: Thomas L. Knapp