January 23, 2005
And On The Third Day: "Principles" vs. Politics
Three days after President George Bush warned non-democratic regimes that they cannot continue to hold sway for long, his aides rushed to assure America's allies that his new agenda will not affect U.S. relations with countries like Pakistan. [...]
Diplomatic circles in Washington told Dawn that Middle Eastern and Muslim missions in the U.S. capital also spent an uneasy weekend, trying to figure out how serious the Bush administration was in taking "the fire of freedom to the darkest corners of our world," as President Bush vowed to do in his inaugural speech.
By Sunday evening, the Bush administration had fully realized the intended and unintended consequences of the speech and was busy assuring America's allies that this change would not affect them.
At a series of background briefings for American and foreign journalists, senior Bush officials made it clear that the speech will not lead to "any shift in Washington's strategy for dealing with countries like Pakistan, Egypt, China and Russia."
A senior Bush administration official said that although the records of these countries on human rights and democracy fell well short of the values Mr. Bush expressed in his speech, Washington would not forget that they were "key U.S. allies in the fight against terrorism." [...]
"We intend to stand on the side of change and try to help people move it along," he added, giving an explanation more acceptable to America's non-democratic allies. Another official said the United States could not ignore "unique histories, cultures and traditions" of other nations while trying to push for democratic changes.
Posted by Eddie Tews at January 23, 2005 10:12 PM
Comments
"By Sunday evening, the Bush administration had fully realized the intended and unintended consequences of the speech and was busy assuring America's allies that this change would not affect them."
What "intended and unintended" realizations ? Can't we name blatant other realizations that are similar to this remark (ie no WMDs in Iraq, no Iraqi ties to Al-Qaeda, just to name a few). Whatever happened to helping "real" democracies come into fruition by giving the real needs of people? Nahh, we'll bomb and maim the fuckers into freedom!
""We intend to stand on the side of change and try to help people move it along," he added, giving an explanation more acceptable to America's non-democratic allies. Another official said the United States could not ignore "unique histories, cultures and traditions" of other nations while trying to push for democratic changes.""
This is bullshit at an oceans depth! Does this adminstration really care about traditions and cultures of other nations, when they maim and kill it citizens in the name of spreading democracy. While were at it, we'll hit on the common cogitive dissonance of the Bush administration.
One comes to mind is "Uzbekistan". Here we prop up a government, that has numerous and serious human rights violations, with military and economic aid. This in return for using their air bases for military missions into neighboring Afghanistan.
Cognitive dissonance: we attack a country (Afghanistan) to rid of what was called 'violators' of human rights (The Taliban),while we give aid to Uzbekistan for use of their facilities to make such attacks, that is also a serious violator of human rights. Umm, ever wonder where the real priorities are?
Also note, that while the Bush admin (claims to) abhor (while commiting Geneva Convention violations in Gitmo as one example)human rights abuses in other governments, they feel no compunction (let alone any international respect for laws) when our own commit some of those very same violations. -- Posted by: Tom on January 24, 2005 10:53 AM