To the editor:

George Will and Trudy Rubin (Journal-World, July 18) both make sense writing about the Middle East situation.

However, George Bush is in office, and solutions aren’t likely to be found. Bush and friends came to power as doctrinaire ideologues, little prepared for the history of the Middle East, or contemporary situation there. They continue as ideologues, putting their trust mostly in military force.

Bush talked about bringing democracy to Iraq, for an example throughout the area. As far as I can tell, Bush, Cheney and all misunderstand democracy in the U.S. context. They seem to think majority vote, and winner take all, is the whole story. To some degree, this accounts for Bush-Cheney moves to arrogate legislative and judicial functions to the executive.

They forgot, or more likely never learned, that we have a history of the Bill of Rights checking majority power. Our Constitution divides powers, so no one becomes all-powerful king, or dictator. An independent judiciary (not the executive) interprets laws from Congress. Democracy by majority rule has been constrained in the United States from early on.

Iraq and many countries of the area have little or no such history or institutions constraining a majority. The Bush administration shows no understanding of this. As George Will suggests, events will probably get worse as long as Bush and Cheney are in office.

Anyone who doesn’t like the current course of events had better find a way to become politically active this election!

Mark Larson,

Lawrence