Bush to urge U.N. to spread freedom

[babylonsister]

Would be nice if he practiced what he preached...


Bush to urge U.N. to spread freedom

By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer 20 minutes ago

UNITED NATIONS - President Bush wants the U.N. to uphold its pledge to fight for freedom in lands of poverty and terror and plans to punctuate his challenge by promising new sanctions against the military regime in Myanmar.

Bush was expected to mention Iran in his speech Tuesday to the General Assembly — but only briefly, citing it in a list of countries where people lack freedoms and live in fear. The White House wants to avoid giving any more attention to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose splash of speeches and interviews has dominated the days leading to the U.N. meeting.

Instead of Iran, the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar, also known as Burma, was drawing Bush's ire. He was expected to announce new visa restrictions and financial sanctions against the regime and those who provide it financial aid.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070925/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

[yourout]

1. Freedom at the end of a gun is not freedom.

[bryant69]

2. Oh he's raring to spread some freedom - the problem is what his wacky brain

tells him spreading freedom entails.

Apparently it involves bombs.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Ilsa]

3. Except when it comes to women's autonomy over their bodies,

freedom from beings spied on by your own govt, etc, the list goes on.

[april]

4. Our Freedom is being taken away Day by Day...nm

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Well, you know what George Orwell said: Freedom is tyranny.

[acmavm]

6. "...countries where people lack freedoms and live in fear."

UH, HELLO.

We are the old Soviet Union.

[sutz12]

7. Will he ask them to start here in the good ole USA? nt

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. Good Question

My guess: NO!

But there are plenty of ways that he can "urge freedom" over here, which should arguably be done much before going after other countries and their human rights records including:

1.) Restore Habeus Corpus and demand that our military strictly adhere to Geneva Conventions for ALL people detained by the US REGARDLESS of who they are or where they were caught and severely punish any violators.
2.) Lock up Gitmo and give all remaining "unlawful enemy combatants" a free and fair trial in federal courts.
3.) Eliminate or substantially revise portions of Patriot Acts I & II so as to better preserve civil liberties (y'know the version that Congress THOUGHT they were originally voting for).
4.) End warrantless wiretapping and refuse to make permanent the "enhanced" (and apparently unnecessary) FISA law.
5.) Eliminate "free speech zones" and allow people to peaceably protest whoever, whenever, and wherever without fear of prosecution/reprisals
6.) End our illegal occupation of Iraq and restore full sovereignty to the Iraqi government.

This is certainly not meant to be a comprehensive list but I think that it would be a good start towards restoring our own "freedom" not to mention moral authority.

[Rob H.]

8. "Bush later will participate in a roundtable on democracy...."

'Cause everyone knows he's the best person to talk to about that. I'm sure secret prisons, warrantless wiretapping, torture, extraordinary rendition, holding prisoners indefinitely, "free speech zones," etc., make him an expert on exactly what democracy should look like. :sarcasm:

[malaise]

10. Oh the irony

What a fugging lunatic!

[bdamomma]

13. he is such an insult to all of us.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. This is one of many occasions when the smirk is appropriate.

[Bitwit1234]

12. I vote for that....start with the US please......UN