More democracy, please

"We need more democracy," was the final plea of President Bush as he tapered off his tour of the middle east. First, he praised the leader of Egypt who is known for extreme hostility toward opposition since the 80's, and then called for more "democracy."

How can Bush praise him, then ask him to change? Obviously President Hosni Mubarak is doing something right if he is getting a personal visit from the US President as well as accolades about the civil and national progress under his reign.

Bush also met with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (below) whose human rights violations can be summed up in the picture to the right. What exactly is it about these dictators -- who have little to do with the American ideal-- that give Bush the loving tingles of adoration deserving a personal visit, or even a business deal involving laser guided missile technology priced above $120m.

I think that Bush is hoping to inaugurate some sort of happy-go-lucky friendship with not-so-friendly neighbors of Iran, or to quote the BBC, to "bolster the Saudis in the face of Iran." Do I need to mention that Russian President Vladimir Putin is quite hospitable to the Iranian leadership? This tenuous relationship could further impede any progress in our diplomacy with Russia who has a rising economy and advancing military.

In spite of a strained relationship, the Saudi and Iranian powers are still allied with one another. If we give them things that go boom and they remain allied while strengthening ties with Russia, we could very well be funding our own militant opposition...again.

It is very obvious, after reviewing the situations in Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, Afghanistan and so on, that the Bush administration is actively pursuing “democracy,” whatever that means.

Comments

Dark Horse of the Apocalypse

Here I am, my second blog entry. What I have to say, I am not sure, I have so much to say but nothing to talk about. I watched I Am Legend the other day; in spite of video-game type CGI, the film was pretty decent. I cannot say it was memorable, as far as an apocalyptic film goes, it rose just above mediocre. Children of Men is far more entertaining, deep, and plot driven. If one were to spend two hours, the latter would be better time spent, especially considering the production quality. Speaking of the apocalypse, the presidential race is heating up quickly. Apparently, Mike Huckabee has something to offer as a presidential candidate. I did not know the GOP is so interested in perpetuating the Bush foreign policy that they are willing to support a pseudo-clone of the current commander-in-chief our nation so dearly admires. Ron Paul receives little-to-no attention from the media compared to other candidates but he has the money and grass roots attention (including a priva...

The Weakness of My Father

“ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ” - I Corinthians 13:11 The Weakness of my father was unbelievable to me. As a young boy, I idolized my father. I really believed he was the biggest and strongest man on earth. A vivid memory haunts and elevates me simultaneously: I remember talking to my kindergarten teacher about my dad and how strong he was; I told her he could pick up a house with his bare hands, he was that strong. Of course, that is silliness to an adult, but to a child, it's my salvation. That is to say, the strength and fortitude of my father were something inspiring as much as it is comforting. He's the foundation of my strength and safety. He comforts me, corrects me, teaches me, and of course, comes down to my level to communicate and lifts me up when I fall. If he can pick me up with his bare hands, then he can pick up a house. When I did right he gave me enc...

Bye Bye Mr. Stinky

I was a special education teacher. Matter of fact, I taught Special Education for four-and-a-half years. I taught some non-verbal kiddos how to read, increased the diversity in their diets, taught them games and social skills, and–what I am most proud of–I helped kids out of diapers, who were well past the time to meet that milestone… And let me tell you, that is not always an easy task. It is always a rewarding task. Find the carrot By carrot, I mean the motivation for doing something that is not preferred; for example, if you want to buy a beer, but you have no money, you might help a friend move. Moving is a total garbage activity, but he may pay you and buy you beer; if you know how to negotiate, you will get an unhealthy amount of pizza too. BAM! You had no money; now you have pizza, beer, and money, because you leveraged your time and effort. Potty training is no different. The kiddos usually don't know how to leverage their time and resources to get what t...

Rory Christopher's blog thinger

Search This Blog