11.18.2003
Some Contrasts
"Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business." --Michael Ledeen
Transcript of Wesley Clark on Meet the Press worth reading and contemplating as you consider Democratic candidates for the Presidential nomination.
I found this link to a transcript of Wesley Clark being interviewed on Fox (gleaned at Calpundit) I had no luck with getting the Clark Fox video to load. Nice work in not letting your comment go through the "spincycle" Mr Clark.
White House Resident George W Bush was afraid to speak before British Parliament, backing out from a scheduled stop there during his visit to Great Britain.
I cannot remember any major state visit by a head of state from an important country where there has not been such an address.
He goes on to say: "Even at this late stage, I hope there will be second thoughts. After all the Prime Minister addressed both Houses of Congress and was given a very warm welcome. I am sure the President would have been given an equally warm welcome and that those who did not agree with his policy would have been dignified and polite.”-- Sir Patrick Cormack, Tory MP
I suppose Mr Bush remembers Australia, where he was heckled both inside and outside of Parliament there. Perhaps it wasn't a fear of heckling. The MP's may have been restrained and polite. What if they asked questions? Scary for a world leader high on rhetoric but short on supportive facts.
This is factual. Mr Bush said this:
"God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East.
As a self proclaimed "Born Again Christian" Mr Bush seems to have missed a crucial part of any serious study of New Testament Scripture. Jesus, "The Prince of Peace" and the Beatitudes he proclaims.
Mr Bush seems more influenced by the Neo-Conservative chickenhawks he has surrounded himself with than any words or presence of God. You judge; does our nation's present foreign policy seem more dictated by the Christian concept of God or by Neo-Conservatives like Mr Ledeen:
Creative destruction is our middle name, both within our own society and abroad. We tear down the old order every day, from business to science, literature, art, architecture, and cinema to politics and the law. Our enemies have always hated this whirlwind of energy and creativity, which menaces their traditions (whatever they may be) and shames them for their inability to keep pace. Seeing America undo traditional societies, they fear us, for they do not wish to be undone. They cannot feel secure so long as we are there, for our very existence—our existence, not our politics—threatens their legitimacy. They must attack us in order to survive, just as we must destroy them to advance our historic mission
Please read the following link discussing Michael Ledeen and the Neo-Conservatives that dictate foreign policy.
Universal Fascism, Freedom Betrayed by Craig Hulet. Universal Fascism is the title of a book by Mr Ledeen. Ledeen and his associates are a very powerful influence on the Bush administration.
The Neocons have been saying for quite a while the next stop for US aggression is Iran.
11/18/2003
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I read this piece by Naomi Klein on the economic occupation of Iraq and why it is illegal when my copy of Nation came in and after reading this piece linked at Arms And The Man I thought I would use them as parts of a post, they are complimentary in telling us the immoral war has been crowned with an immoral Occupation which is highlighted by, you guessed it, Corporate greed and malfeasance as imposed by the present US administration. This article by Aaron Mate`gives we non-lawyers a primer on why the present Occupation meets Globalization economic pillage of Iraq will not stand up in court. This piece from Arms And The Man by Chris Zdeb brings it full circle.
International trade lawyers have told Klein that once Iraqis get a government of their own, which is expected by June, "if they don't want to be a wholly owned subsidiary of Halliburton and Bechtel, they will have powerful legal grounds to re-nationalize all these assets."
That would sure put the Corporate folks bankrolling Mr Bush's election hopes off their feed.
We know what type of "Democracy" they are hoping for:
... "and then Washington would have the best of all worlds: an iron-fisted Iraqi junta without Saddam Hussein," a return to the happy days when Saddam's "iron fist...held Iraq together, much to the satisfaction of the American allies Turkey and Saudi Arabia," not to speak of the boss in Washington.
Remember when the US attack on Iraq was imminent? Right Wing Neo-Fascist leader of Spain Jose Maria`Aznar and Italy's Leader with Fascist roots (and Cabinet ministers) Silvio Berlusconi with 80% and 70% of their population against joining US aggression signed on to the Bush administrations war agenda, giving the word "Coalition" a respectability in the US press.
One country stood by it's citizen's will, resisting both US bribery and pressure. Turkey. Here's what the former US ambassador has to say about this amazing and uncharacteristic democratic move.
... explained by former Ambassador to Turkey Morton Abramowitz, now a distinguished senior statesman and commentator. Ten years ago, he explained, Turkey was governed by a real democrat, Turgut Ozal, who “overrode his countrymen’s pronounced preference to stay out of the Gulf war.” But democracy has declined in Turkey. The current leadership “is following the people,” revealing its lack of “democratic credentials.” “Regrettably,” he says, “for the US there is no Ozal around.”
Paul Wolfowitz on this issue:Wolfowitz directed sharp criticism at Turkey, indicating that its refusal to allow deployment of 62,000 troops on its soil was a mistake and urging the country to change this attitude.
He goes on to say:Wolfowitz told the CNN-Turk that he was particularly disappointed with the Turkish military.
"I think for whatever reason, they did not play the strong leadership role and attitude that we would have expected," he said.
A Turkish politician says it loud and proud."Turkey is a democratic country and everybody that appreciates the functioning of the true democracy should respect this," said Deniz Baykal, leader of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
Baykal's CHP voted as a bloc against a government motion requesting authorization for U.S. troops that was voted down in a March 1 vote in Parliament with a narrow margin of four votes.
Some folks obviously are unclear about what a Democracy is.
Some assert it against all odds.
Where do you stand?
I was hoping for a bunch of substantive comments to yesterdays post to help me with my thought process...
edited for typos
11/18/2003
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