Conveniently, for American presidents, their public is more easily manipulated than the 'constituencies' abroad. Winning the hearts and minds of Americans who sit back behind their TV sets, is easier then winning the hearts and minds of, say, Afghan or Iraqi citizens, who see, hear and feel bombs shredding through their daily existence.
However, on the home front, there is a delicate factor to take into account. They tend to be too stuck up to have an impact on the actual citizenry of a country, unless it is too late, but one should never completely discount the educated class or 'intellectuals'. Never satisfied, not by their own research, or anyone else's, they are a nosy lot and like to meddle. They will always need something to complain about and that is perfectly fine, as they merrily find happines in cutting into one anothers' words, complaining about one another, to one another.
But if the hydra of the intellect conspires on one single issue, it becomes highly venomous and will only multiply its efforts, when faced with restrictions. It is able to harness public support, make their repressed and deceased members into multi-headed martyrs and bring down regimes. Either through violence or through democratic outlets.
And this is why any regime will try to maintain atleast a modicum of decency, especially in a time where communications flow more freely then blood. Even the so-called people's republic of China has to find within it's people, some sort of mandate to maintain peace. In a democratic country, this matters even more, as -theoretically speaking-, public opinion is formed from the ground up. And though ruling classes have their ways of influencing public opinion, they do not determine it. Still, the public can act independently.
This is why the West needs a way to promote and market their half-harted and hypocrite dealings with mass-murderers, half-wits and tyrants abroad. In Lybia, a new blue-print seems to have been tested successfully. Even the most ostracized of leaders could be welcomed back into the fold of 'decent' nations. All it took colonel Khadafi, branded as a terrorist sponsor, mass-murderer, developer of WOMD, tyrant and a loony, was to hand in the weapons, make proper excuses, pay up and open up his resources and economy. And everyone got along fine...
That is... until his people started rebelling against him. Because then the true colors show. We had readily forgotten the kind of crook he was, while we weren't forced to see it. Our intellectual and business elite dealt with him very eagerly. But then he had to go shooting people in sight of our lenses and scopes.
So here's the deal, mr. Foreign Dictator: We support you, if you support us: no WOMD, no violence (when our intellectual elite cares), no terrorism and preferably you open up your markets to us. Everyone makes money, everyone remains in power. But just you remember that the moment the wind turns, we turn with it.
What reinforces this policy in a democratic society is that any 'contract' with a former dictator can be written off as a mistake by the former administration. So mr. Blair, you've been very bad working together with Kadhafi, but Cameron gets to be the hero. The same companies can keep making the same profits and the same electorate keeps putting up with lies. But this time: it's better lies!
