The Democracy Gap

For years now, the Bush administration has been trying to force democracy down the proud Iraqis' throats, while at the same time stripping away basic democratic values in the U.S.:

• The Patriot Act severely restricts civil liberties of American citizens, especially if their names contain the words "Abdul", "al" or "Ahmed".
• The Guantanamo Bay prison, built in a military base in Cuba and so outside of U.S. jurisdiction, detains prisoners indefinitely without charges and tries them without the right to choose an attorney.
• Rumors abound of "black sites", illegal prisons in Eastern Europe, Thailand and elsewhere, where the U.S. holds prisoners illegally and without supervision by anyone.
• Both 'at home' and in Iraq, the government buys the news, creating or paying journalists to create positive news stories about the administration.

So how can this be? What kind of example is the United States setting by breaking down democracy while supposedly building it up at the same time?
My theory is simple:

The Bush administration is closing the Democracy Gap from both sides.

That is, by redefining democracy to become more like a dictatorship, Iraq more easily becomes a democracy. It's as simple a plan as it is brilliant. Bravo, President Bush!