President Bush believes freedom and democracy are universal values. As he said in an interview with Kai Diekmann, "I'm not going to change my core beliefs — a belief that freedom is universal." This, of course, has been the driving force behind his policy in Iraq — offer them freedom and democracy, and they'll jump at the opportunity, because everyone values those things.
But I think President Bush has missed a more fundamental universal value — safety. Patrick Henry aside, most people would rather be safe than free. Every dictator who has ever been democratically elected knows this. Promise the people safety, and they'll gladly give up their freedom. Karl Rove certainly knows this, which is why the winning Republicans have run on an agenda of fear for the past five years.
I've said it before, but the ever-rising civilian death toll in Iraq is a reminder that democracy and anarchy are not the same thing. And even a despotic dictator is better than a completely dysfunctional government. If we can't offer the Iraqi's a base level of security, then their freedom and democracy have no value.