The fallacy is the old glib, and poisonous, assertion that "my enemy's enemy is my friend". But that has to be recognised as poisonous in both directions. In fact a good working assumption might often be "my enemy's enemy is probably also my enemy".

All regimes are flawed in one way and another, some more deeply than others. It's important to recognise the flaws and not be taken in by the hype. But only too often attacks on the regimes in question are orchestrated by those who are every bit as bad or worse.

The old regime under Tito in Yugoslavia had a lot wrong with it - but what succeeded it has made it seem like the good old days to many. It seems pretty clear that the same is true of the very much nastier Saddam regime in Iraq. Aristide in Haiti was a long way from perfect, but what in happening there today is unspeakable.