Spreading democracy in the Middle East

Via Kevin Drum, I came across this post by llan Goldenberg:

So I saw Ken Adelman today at a panel at the Center for American Progress (Yes Ken Adelman actually stepped inside CAP).

At one point the moderator asked him about what a new Iraqi government should look like and what he would consider a positive outcome. I thought this was pretty interesting. What does one of the original proponents of the war now think about realistic outcomes?

Adelman's answer left me a little stunned, a little outraged but mostly just sad.

Basically, he explained that when he first supported the war he viewed the establishment of a government similar to that of the Philippines or South Korea to be a positive outcome. They aren't perfect democracies but they're pretty good.

By 2004 he decided that an outcome like Jordan was the best we could hope for. By 2005 his standard had become Egypt. And Now? Wait for it... Wait for it...

Syria!!!

Actually, as hillarious as that sounds, I suspect even that's going to be a stretch.