Doug, I don't think millions of people "firmly believe" that Bush is fighting this war for Democracy. And I think the reason that idea gained currency is that liberal media-types (and liberals in general) always accept the terms of the Right's arguments. If I had a dollar for every time I heard a pundit simply posit that Bush is fighting this war for democracy, I would be able to get you a really nice Christmas present (or War-on-Christmas present, if you'd rather). When you base on argument on a stupid contention you get a stupid argument.
Butler's argument is not against the war, it is for the notion that liberal-democracy is hopelessly normative because George Bush says that his use of executive power is based on some univerasal principle. We should abandon the universal principle because George Bush *abuses* it for his own political purposes. It is a stupid argument, stupidly made. It's like saying Germans shouldn't speak German because Hitler spoke it, as if speaking German inevitably leads to fascism.
Do you think that the universal idea of democracy somehow inevitably lead us to war against Arabs?
I think it's ridiculous on its face.
boddi