Spreading Like A Sunrise

This past weekend the Bush campaign attempted to tap into the Olympic spirit by launching “morning in Athens” ad. The ad shows an athlete and boasts of “two more free nations” and “two fewer terrorists regimes”–those being Afghanistan and Iraq. Kind of odd, since Iraq competed in the Olympics before Bush appeared on the scene, but maybe they are performing better now. Or something. Gotta find a silver lining somewhere.
But the larger problem with the ad is its entire premise: Thanks to President Bush, “freedom is spreading throughout the world like a sunrise.” The ad opens by noting that there were 40 democracies in the world in 1972; today there are 120.
Notice anything strange about those dates? Why yes. Bush actually didn’t become president in 1972, he was elected in 2000. It’s unclear to me what Bush did to spread democracy between 1972 and 2000. If you compare the figures from 2000 and today, it’s more along the lines of 118 to 120. I guess that’s why they used 1972.
Moreover, just how did the sunrise of freedom dawn in those two nations?
By an American invasion and occupation, that’s how.
Is this our game plan for spreading freedom? How many countries might we enlighten with freedom in a second Bush term? How many more can we afford to cast the bright light of freedom upon?
Not many, I’m afraid.