Bush And Democracy: Talk But Little Action

Weekly Standard: President's Words About Promoting Democracy Haven't Been Backed By Deeds

(Weekly Standard) 
And the Bush administration's response has been? Well, let's just say that if your declared policy is to promote "democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture," you ought to have an answer to the question of what activities you are undertaking to that end. The administration does not have such answers.

Indeed, one of the swiftest criticisms of the Bush second inaugural was that Bush didn't really mean it. By this account, the rhetoric was always empty and was intended to be. Some of the critics raising objections along these lines, for example on the Washington Post editorial page, were sincerely concerned to close the gap between high-minded principle and dubious practice in favor of more vigorous action in support of the principle. Other critics were more interested in "gotcha," the exposure of Bush hypocrisy, an accusation that conveniently allowed them to avoid saying which side they came down on.

Now, one should not underestimate the difficulty of undertaking a major transformation of U.S. foreign policy, or the internal resistance one is likely to run into. In certain respects, the Prague meeting on "Democracy and Security" seemed queued up to assist Bush in the task. It was organized by two of the most prominent and successful dissident freedom fighters the world has produced, Natan Sharansky (late of the Soviet Union, now a former Israeli parliamentarian and author of The Case for Democracy) and former Czech president Václav Havel, plus José María Aznar, prime minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004 and the guiding hand on its hugely successful economic reform.

The meeting brought together dissidents and activists from around the world, including Saad Eddin Ibrahim of Egypt (sentenced to seven years but freed by an appeals court under international pressure), Chinese Uighur advocate Rebiya Kadeer, Moscow Helsinki Group chair Ludmilla Alexeeva, Amir Abbas Fakhravar (imprisoned and tortured by the Iranian government), Belarus opposition leader Aleksandr Milinkevich, former Bolivian parliamentarian José Brechner, Palestinian democracy advocate Issam Abu Issa, and Garry Kasparov, for 20 years the world's top-ranked chess player and now a leading advocate of democracy in Russia.

This only begins the list. Then you have to add the number of people present who were active in Solidarity and Charter 77 or other opposition groups back in the day. The amount of moral courage represented at the Czech Foreign Affairs Ministry's Czernin Palace, in the very meeting room where the Warsaw Pact was dissolved, ought to give even the most cynical a moment of pause. I found myself speaking on a panel that included Iraqi women's rights advocate Zainab Al-Suwaij and Eli Khoury, one of the leaders of Lebanon's 2005 Cedar Revolution.

Bush is a well-known admirer of Sharansky and his latest book, and that apparently was the connection that got the president to stop over in Prague on his way to the G-8 meeting in Germany. The speech he gave was a variation on the theme of the second inaugural: "The most powerful weapon in the struggle against extremism is not bullets or bombs — it is the universal appeal of freedom. Freedom is the design of our Maker, and the longing of every soul. Freedom is the best way to unleash the creativity and economic potential of a nation. Freedom is the only ordering of a society that leads to justice. And human freedom is the only way to achieve human rights." He went on to say, "In the eyes of America, the democratic dissidents today are the democratic leaders of tomorrow," and referred specifically to the cases of several he was about to meet — and to a number of others stuck in jails around the world from Belarus to Vietnam.

Bush's rhetoric was characteristically lofty; as for new policy, potentially the most important piece was Bush's announcement of a directive that would be sent out by Secretary of State Rice to all U.S. embassies in unfree countries: "Seek out and meet with activists for democracy. Seek out those who demand human rights." The importance of American contact with dissidents cannot be overstated. Former Secretary of State George P. Shultz has described such contacts as one of the key elements of U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Bush's directive seemed almost like a response to an appeal Richard Perle had made from the podium barely an hour before, namely, that Bush must "close the gap between what he says and believes and what the machinery of our government actually does."

It's unclear how much such gap-closing Bush can or will be able to do in his remaining time in office. There is no more time for major new initiatives; he had an opportunity to do some retooling of democracy promotion in the first year of his second term, but it came to nil. And the ritual repudiation by domestic political opponents that greets every move he makes is not going to change.

He does have one serious asset at his disposal, however. And that is the power of his own presence. When the president of the United States personally meets with and affirms those who are working for democracy and human rights against formidable odds, it matters. It makes a difference to them, as any former dissident will tell you, and their stories stand, as they did at Prague, as a living rebuke to those who would like to turn their backs on the complicated challenge of aiding reformers and checking autocrats. The denunciations that Bush's Prague remarks provoked from China and Egypt are an indication of this power of presence.

Bush devoted the concluding minutes of his Prague speech to a point-by-point rebuttal of some of the arguments critics of democracy promotion have put forward: that "stability" is a better goal, that democracy can empower radicals or lead to chaos, that the project of "ending tyranny" is unrealistic. The far more eloquent rebuttal in Prague, however, was a handshake with Rebiya Kadeer or Aleksandr Milinkevich. That may be the best thing Bush can keep doing to advance his freedom agenda in the time he has left.

[katg21]

As I recall, only 1 provision of the Contract on America was considered and it had nothing to do with the economy.
Posted by sjc_1 at 01:07 PM : Jun 16, 2007

The Fiscal responsibility Act and it had everything to do with the economy. Read it.

[sjc_1]

'..for any successes he had with the economy"

As I recall, only 1 provision of the Contract on America was considered and it had nothing to do with the economy.

Clinton raised tax rates for the higher income bracket which convinced the bond market that they government was serious about doing something.

The stable bond market allowed the government and business to borrow at reduced rates which helped slow the growth of the debt and allow business expansion.

[katg21]

Clinton did more to combat terrorism than any president in history, and no matter how you Posted by bobgee_1999 at 07:31 PM : Jun 15, 2007

And you wonder what I'm smokin'?! Clinton can thank the "Contract With America", created by the REPUBLICAN controlled congress, for any successes he had with the economy. As far as combating terrorism, don't make me laugh; he turned a blind eye and you know it. How about you tell me how Carter was better than Reagan? This should be good.

Carter's implementing of price controls created long gas lines, high gas prices ,high interest rates(20+%) , etc.., pure socialism. Hmm, sounds just like what Hill has in store for us. Worked great then, why not try it again, huh. What do you know about that though, you were probably just twinkle in your dad's eye during Carter's administration. Do a little reading on him before you start throwing out awards for history's worst president.

[katg21]

I was making a joke.
W recently said it that way.
Posted by sparks224 at 09:21 PM : Jun 15, 2007

Missed that one.

[katg21]

I live on the Planet Michigan. Worst economy in the country the last 6.5 years, with the unemployment just dropping to 7%. Not part of your world I guess.

I voted for hometown boy Gerald Ford over Carter.

Just keep on telling us how much you think you know.
Posted by beanerman4 at 11:54 PM : Jun 15, 2007

Let me guess, I bet you voted for Granholm too? Worst Governor in the nation, worst record, and you idiots vote her in for a second term...BRAVO. You deserve what you get.

[jerr11]

Bush And Democracy: Talk But Little Action


So what else is new!

This guy spews more hot air than a Texan stuffed with refried beans.

Remember the Middle East Roadmap? Or the Katrina relief...

The only thing this guy has done while in office is to enrich his buddies, give billions to the pharmaceutical companies in the drug plan, and killed thousands of young Americans in a delusional war of greed and profiteering.

[sparks224]

"The bloke was voted twice into the WH!"
Posted by klifton2

Keep in mind; he didn't actually win the election either time. But he did get close enough for the neo-cons to steal it. This of course makes the idea of Bush promoting democracy so ironic.

[beanerman4]

again I ask what planet you're living on? In the real world the economy is doing just fine.
Posted by katg21 at 02:39 PM : Jun 15, 2007

I live on the Planet Michigan. Worst economy in the country the last 6.5 years, with the unemployment just dropping to 7%. Not part of your world I guess.

I voted for hometown boy Gerald Ford over Carter.

Just keep on telling us how much you think you know.

[condumism]

Bush, as ALL Repuglicons: HYPOCRITS to the CORE. All of us have now seen first hand how low the conservative trash of the USA can go. And to think that some fools voted for this PIG BUSH twice? Only a Southern FAscist could be so gullible as to vote hatred and greed over America.

[sjc_1]

You could write a book with all the screw ups that W has said. The guy is an embarrassment to this nation. People make mistakes, but this guy makes a career out of making mistakes.

Kerry leaves one word out of a statement and the press and right wingers are all over him. This clown screws up daily and no one says a thing.

[sparks224]

katg21,
I believe the phrase is %u201Chalf glass empty%u201D.

Posted by sparks224 at 03:37 PM : Jun 15, 2007

nope, "glass half empty".
Posted by katg21

I was making a joke.
W recently said it that way.

[johnshaft4]

It was you Jew boy, neocon, Zionists along with the end time Christian nut jobs that got this spineless, retarded, twerp elected (and re elected) so stew in your own juices, jerks.
We don't want to hear your crying any more.

[emhawks]

I'm so tired of reading/hearing about what Bush/Cheney have done & the way it's always phrased in politically correct language!

Bush & Cheney are criminals----murderers.
They both should go before a firing squad for what they have done to America, Iraq & our American soldiers & for what they are trying to do( deliberately prolonging the Iraq war; trying to create a reason to attack Iran; trying to form the North American Union (NAU)which would be the end of America).

[bobgee_1999]

katg21: Belief doesn't alter reality, though apparently whatever you're smoking does. The economy is in the toilet. You can only cover the truth with deficit spending for so long; eventually the bill comes due. Of course, it won't come due during Bush's term, will it? Of course not. The rest of us learned this under Reagan, the worst president we ever had, until Bush II took his title. It is always left to the Democrats to fix the economy after the Republicans screw it up. Then prosperity sets in, and the *** AmPop thinks it's ok to vote for the GOP again. People like you disparage taxes the Dems enact, but the only alternative is deferring payment like the Reps do.

Clinton did more to combat terrorism than any president in history, and no matter how you slice it, Bush did little but work on his ranch for his first nine months in office and took no action against Al-Queda at all. How you can blame Clinton for "our current problems" must be the result of the smokables, because I'm pretty sure he didn't attack Iraq for absolutely no reason at all, and divert our attention and resources away from the actual problem.

[katg21]

Unfortunately, that's the half of the glass I inhabit ;)

Posted by ubrew12 at 05:20 PM : Jun 15, 2007

It's hard not to be there these days;)

[ubrew12]

"ubrew12, You're a "glass is half empty" kind of person, huh? Geez!" Posted by katg21 at 02:59 PM : Jun 15, 2007

Unfortunately, that's the half of the glass I inhabit ;)

[johnshaft4]

What did you expect from the usual "faith based", Christian, "family values" lies and hypocrisy?

[mwitten2]

Bush pushing democracy all over the world while destroying ours with illegal wiretaps, secret prisons, torture, etc.! The "Weenie" is the decider!!!

[katg21]

katg21,
I believe the phrase is %u201Chalf glass empty%u201D.

Posted by sparks224 at 03:37 PM : Jun 15, 2007

nope, "glass half empty".

[sparks224]

katg21,
I believe the phrase is %u201Chalf glass empty%u201D.