Occidente debe apoyar las revoluciones democráticas

Vía "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran" (SMCCDI) leo un artículo publicado en Los Angeles Times de Peter Ackerman y Michael Ledeen, titulado; "Say you want a revolution". Un artículo interesante que sigue la linea de Michael Ledeen sobre hacer todo lo posible para apoyar a la gente oprimida y que sean ellos mismos los que derrumben las tiranías:

In recent months, skepticism about the appeal of freedom has given way to a new belief: that democratic revolution is now possible, even inevitable, in places such as Lebanon, Iran, Syria and Kyrgyzstan. But "people power" is not an unstoppable tidal wave, and it would be wrong and naive to conclude that we need only step back and let it happen. The Western world has a lot at stake, and our support for democratic forces in the Middle East and beyond will be important, perhaps even decisive.

Freedom-loving people know what we want to see in Beirut, Damascus and Tehran: the central square bursting with citizens demanding an end to tyranny, massive strikes shutting down the national economy, the disintegration of security forces charged with maintaining order, and the consequent departure of the tyrants and the beginnings of a popularly elected government.

Más tarde comienza a hablar sobre las condiciones que se deben dar para que triunfe un cambio a la democracia, y lo que debemos aportar los occidentales:

The activists will need to communicate with one another, and the West can provide them with suitable equipment — satellite phones, text messaging, laptops and servers — that they may not be able to get by themselves. Just as the West provided Solidarity and Soviet dissidents with fax machines during the Cold War, we should help contemporary dissidents get the best tools available.

Americans, Europeans and others who freely choose their own rulers cannot be indifferent about the success or failure of democratic revolution around the world, and we must not limit our support to rhetoric. There is every reason to believe that this latest surge of revolution will succeed, provided that the courage and passion of the people of the region receive suitable assistance from the democratic world.

No desaprovechemos la oportunidad.