Bush: Democracy in Mideast is worth price

[leftchick]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060612/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq


CAMP DAVID, Md. - President Bush declared Monday to a nation weary of war that democracy in the Middle East is worth the high price to the United States. He also said Iraq's neighbors should be doing more to help.

Beginning a two-day strategy session on Iraq at Camp David, Bush said nations inside and outside the Middle East have pledged $13 billion for Iraq reconstruction and the United States expects them to back their financial commitments.

"We discussed that today, as to how to continue to rally not only the neighborhood and Iraq's neighbors to the cause of the new democracy, but how to help others who have made a pledge to honor their pledge," Bush said.

Now in its fourth year, the war also was an issue on Capitol Hill.

The Senate opened debate on a military policy bill, and John Kerry, D-Mass., intended to offer a plan to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of the year. The White House has long opposed setting deadlines in Iraq, and Kerry's amendment is expected to be defeated when voted on later this week.

[Redstone]

1. Yeah, for him. His fucking kids aren't in the military.

Redstone

[Kutjara]

2. No price is too high...

...when you're not the one who's paying, right Georgieboy?

[struggle4progress]

27. Apparently not worthwhile enough to justify raising millionaires' taxes.

[marmar]

3. Bush: Democracy in America? Fuck it.

:(

[Hekate]

4. Glad to hear The Twins will soon be in uniform, Mr. pResident...

...What? what's that you say? Military service is for the little people?

Shoulda known.

Hekate

[CJCRANE]

5. Um...

what about democracy in all those ME monarchies that he does business with...?

How come he only ever seems concerned about Iraq, Syria and Iran? (the first two of which were secular countries and the latter of which has a form of democracy).

ed: grammar

[Turbineguy]

6. He can afford to be generous,

others are paying the price.

[yorkiemommie1]

7. ' Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make'

--from the movie SHREK

[leftchick]

9. he looks really fucking sad about all...

NOT!

:puke:

[Amonester]

17. ya'd think condoliesa punched chimpy on the nooze?? or is it...

just that famous booze-nooze again? whatta wimp.

[Warren Stupidity]

22. No that is his serious victory face.

But look at that big old smirk on Cheney behind him. That thing is a goddamn vampire. Its nesferatu, not 'cheney'.

[BrklynLiberal]

8. Exactly what price has Dimson personally paid?????

[lagavulin]

10. Did anyone make the Buck-Oh-Five joke yet? n/t

[katinmn]

11. Ah, but is "democracy" worth it to the Iraqis?

They just want Bush to get the &$#@ out of their country and stay away.

[Earth_First]

12. Sure it is, he's not paying for it. n/t

[Journeyman]

13. But the price seems to be MY democracy. . .

what sort of Faustian bargain is that?!

[Rex]

14. Keep yackin Chimpy

The more you yack, the more people hate you. Keep it up!

[screenplaya]

15. Like the Palestinian Democracy? n/t

[truthisfreedom]

25. Yeppers... yessirree, just exactly like the Palestinian Democracy. can't

wait to see what surprises the Iraqi "democracy" has in store for us in the future! woohoo!

[rustydog]

16. Then send your patriotic daughters you gutless bastard.

[daleo]

18. It is worth it to Halliburton anyway.

And deranged chimpanzees.

[dysfunctional press]

19. then put babs and jenna in uniform and a humvee doing patrols...

THEN i might actually believe part of what you say.

[smtpgirl]

30. I'd love to have a firearm about now

[dysfunctional press]

31. every american ought too.

i reccomend more than just one.

[necso]

20. I had a "conversation" with an acquaintance

about a week ago. He was using the "democracy" argument (and some nonsense about Saddam attacking us) for continuing our involvement in Iraq. (He was drunk and I didn't push it; but my line about "not getting involved in something (serious) unless you can bring it to successful, as-planned-and-predicted, conclusion" did seem to sink in. Generally, people like success and dislike failure -- so they are slow to admit the latter... and quick to claim the former.)

It's one of the few props for this foolishness that retains any hold on people.

Now, I'm in favor in democracy. But when "democracy" is used as a cover to oppress minorities, as a mechanism for looting, as a means to usher in theocracy, and as an excuse to engage in all sorts of militarism, violence, payback, payoffs, and other ugliness, then it's certainly not an unalloyed good thing. (Gee, sounds familiar doesn't it.)

Moreover, one must look at the nature of this supposed democracy. Does every eligible voter get a chance to vote (once, only once)? Is there widespread fraud and vote suppression? Are there real protections to defend the people from oppression by the government and the electoral majority (which may well not be the majority of the voting-eligible population)? Do the people have a real choice and the information that they need to make their voting-decisions? Or are people rallied to, and manipulating into, voting for reasons other than major policy issues? Is this supposed democracy something that will last? And is it something worthy of the name? (Gee, much of this sounds familiar too.)

Myself, I favor many ideals. But too often in practice ideals are just more red capes that people are lured into charging after -- to their own and their nation's loss.

What matters is what happens, not what excuses are used to rationalize behavior and outcomes -- and not what spin is used to try to turn the reality of defeat into the appearance of victory.

The "war" in Iraq is lost. There is no outcome that we can achieve that's both within our resources and that achieves any reasonable war-objectives. Indeed, squandering further resources there means that we won't be able to adequately deal with other pressing problems.

But it's a useful distraction to keep people improperly focused while this country is brought to ruin... And it's certainly being used that way.

If we do not soon get our economic house in order, then we may well face economic difficulties on the scale of the great depression. But we are far more dependent now on foreign imports and foreign capital (much of it exported dollars) than we were then, and our people are less well suited to deal with it.

And it's far more likely that they will turn to extremists for "solutions" to their problems. And it's also far more likely that they will lash out in some knee-jerk, mindless, panicked fashion.

[Warren Stupidity]

21. When they say 'democracy' they mean

a regime of any political makeup that is compliant with our economic and geopolitical interests. 'Democracy' as in 'the will of the people expressed through open and honest elections' is of no interest to them either in Iraq or elsewhere.

[Lorien]

23. " Our profiteering in the Mideast is worth the price of your lives and

your children's futures" would be a more honest statement from the Chimp.

[VegasWolf]

24. That's fucking presumptious of Bush, has hasn't gotten any Iraqui oil yet.

[truthisfreedom]

26. an absolutely MUST-SEE video (history of oil)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5267640865741878159&q=newman%27s

[leftchick]

28. thank you for the link!

I will watch this in the morning.

:)

[smtpgirl]

29. The US doesn't have a democracy

the US is a Republic, so why is the US attempting democracy elsewhere?


re·pub·lic ( P ) Pronunciation Key (r-pblk)
n.

A political order whose head of state is not a monarch and in modern times is usually a president.
A nation that has such a political order.

A political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them.
A nation that has such a political order.
often Republic A specific republican government of a nation: the Fourth Republic of France.
An autonomous or partially autonomous political and territorial unit belonging to a sovereign federation.
A group of people working as equals in the same sphere or field: the republic of letters.


de·moc·ra·cy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (d-mkr-s)
n. pl. de·moc·ra·cies
Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
A political or social unit that has such a government.
The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
Majority rule.
The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.