America's "Bankrupt export of democracy"-- Haaretz (Israel)

[TexasLawyer]

Bankrupt export of democracy
Fri., February 04, 2005 Shvat 25, 5765

By Tony Karon

<snip>

While Bush and Condoleeza Rice paint a picture of the Western world locked in a mortal struggle for survival against "Islamist totalitarianism" on a scale of the Cold War or World War II, to much of the rest of the world, they sound distracted by secondary issues. Nobody's making the problem of Islamist terrorism the organizing principle of their foreign policy, and rather than dividing into two camps, today's geopolitical map is showing a plethora of horizontal connections of growing economic, political and sometimes even military significance.

These connections, which are increasingly simply bypassing Bush's efforts to tee up Iran via the UN, will come to naught not simply because of the Iraq debacle, but because China's burgeoning thirst for fossil fuels has prompted it to make a $30-billion investment in exploiting Iran's oil and natural gas reserves. And when China's central bank admonishes the U.S. over the slide of the dollar, its message resonates a lot more immediately with the concerns of many of America's traditional allies than does Bush's sermon on liberty. Being the world's largest debtor nation, America's weakening currency may be a portent of serious troubles ahead. So, whatever Bush's revolutionary ambitions, he may well find himself grounded by an old Clintonian mantra: "It's the economy, stupid."


Those who fear that the second Bush term will bring a new crusade for democracy led by the Third Infantry Division are missing the bigger picture. Just as the soaring, unyieldingly principled visions of Natan Sharansky - its prime inspiration - don't ultimately determine the policy decisions of the government of which he forms a part, so will President Bush's lofty inaugural speech about "lighting the fires of liberty" have precious little bearing on the tough strategic choices that will confront his administration over the next four years.

<snip>

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/536057.html

[Oversea Visitor]

1. Monkey

only know banana economy principles. No complain, US for sale, asking price, please pay in peanuts.

[Blower]

2. I just about died during the debates--

Bush said (more or less) "Kerry will put the defense of the US in the hands of other countries"...

WELL, Bush put not only the DEFENSE of the country in foreign hands, but hundred-billion dollar chunks of it in the hands of China, our greatest competitor! Not to mention all our factories and jobs! IMAGINE, if we were to go to war. WE COULDN'T MAKE ANYTHING!

[Oversea Visitor]

3. Well

You fight with the army you have, not the army you want.

Immigration Act
You work for the wage we will pay you, not the wage you want.

Socail Security
You get the investment which you work for minus our share of profit,
and not that assure insurance you enjoy now.

Ownership society
Tax cut to corporation enhance ownership, ownership of US Adim by corporation.

[TexasLawyer]

5. Good points!

thanks, Overseas.

[Skittles]

4. yup Blower

it occurs to me when we really are educated on what is really going on the lies are SO FREAKING EASY TO SPOT.