Bush’s 10 Commandments
Thou shalt not stifle free speech. Bush cited polls showing that well over 90 percent of the people in Lebanon, Egypt and Iran support free speech. But Bush's record of listening to what they say—whether opposing the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land or the American invasion of Iraq—suggests that even if they're free to talk he's more than willing to ignore them.
Thou shalt release prisoners of conscience. "Too often in the Middle East politics has consisted of one leader in power and the opposition in jail," said Bush in a choice turn of phrase that aptly describes Egypt, in fact, as well as most other Arab countries. But it's an incompetent statesman who offers a gratuitous insult to his host with no strategy to effect actual change. You either raise a ruckus and up the stakes, or you work very quietly and very hard. In any case, it's doubtful Bush's posturing will do much good for Ayman Nour, the former Egyptian opposition candidate for president (and husband of my longtime colleague Gameela Ismail) who has languished in prison on trumped-up charges for two and a half years.
And then there's the problematic record that Bush himself established with prisoners at Bagram, Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib. And, let us not forget, there was also the CIA "rendition" of suspected terrorists to the tender mercies of Egyptian and other interrogators. Bush's conscience didn't seem too concerned about those prisoners. "The problem is he has no moral ground to stand on," said one of Egypt's most prominent businessmen.
Thou shalt have free trade. At the World Economic Forum, famous for its hallelujah chorus singing the praises of globalization, Bush was preaching to the choir. But even here, the crisis in food prices and food supplies is raising questions about just how brutal you want to be about the free movement of goods and services, wealth and starvation.
Thou shalt educate. Arab leaders, especially those in the private sector, know very well the need to provide better schooling for a population where illiteracy is a persistent curse. But Bush, who tends to see everything through the lens of his Global War on Terror, felt constrained to insist on "primary schools that teach basic skills, such as reading and math, rather than indoctrinating children with ideologies of hatred." Even in Pakistan, where such madrassas are notorious, they are far outnumbered by other schools focused on reading, writing and arithmetic.
Thou shalt give women equal rights and opportunities. The audience at Sharm al-Sheikh, which included several powerful women, from a Saudi tycoon to Egyptian First Lady Susan Mubarak and American First Lady Laura Bush, found this an easy enough proposition to accept. But the Arab women didn't need Bush to tell them about this challenge, and they don't see what he's doing to help.
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Member Comments
Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 05/25/2008 3:42:56 PM
Comment: Froggie: I am not so convinced. Most of the reporting agencies on an international scale[which follow],put the deathtoll on May 22,at ''at least 42 to 46 killed''. The German DEUTCHEWELLE added ''7 more''of whom two were burned to death on this day raising this death toll to over 50.
ABC
MSNBC
CNN
AP
UPI
REUTERS
The Washington Post
The Boston Globe
The New York Times
The Vancouver Sun
The Australian
The London Times
The UK TELEGRAPH
The UK GUARDIAN
Agence-France-Presse,ll for May 22,2008,none of which mention ''25 dead''after May 21st.
Chicagos organized crime problem is obvious. As I observed in my previous post,''organized crime is a greater problem[in Iraq,where you can view on NEWSWEEKS companion area in ''NEWS'',an article specifically devoted to ''organized crime''in Mosul as conducted by al Qaeda],and we have that here,in Obamas Chicago''
Yes we do. On Sept.22,2000,an FBI plant in Chicagos LUINA [laborers union],uncovered nearly a dozen rackateering operations taking place in that union branch alone during testimony before the state AGs office and the US Justice Dept.[www.thelaborer.net] This is not all.
The Las Vegas Review Journal May 19,2007:''Chicagos Organized Crime Family: Informant Admits To Involvement In 14 Killings''.
CBS Chicago,Apr.22,2008:''Chicago Gangs Give City Deadly Weekend.32 Shot,2 Stabbed,6 Dead''.[over two weekends ending on Apr.30,over 54 people had been shot or stabbed].
The Chicago Tribune Sept.03,2007''More Than A Dozen People Killed In Weekend Violence''[with another 30 wounded,4 critically].
Chicago Public Radio[NPR] May 17,2008: ''Chicago Murder Rate Up In 2008''.
The police are now militarizing in Chicago. Orders for 9,900 military assault carbines,the M-4, including 1,700 for police cruisers, will eclipse the number of these same weapons in Marine hands in Fallujah,Iraq at this moment. Armoured Personnel Carriers are also on the list. It is expected that this will be the largest militarization of any national city police force in the history of America. Why would they go to this solution?
Posted By: codefac @ 05/24/2008 9:46:49 AM
Comment: This comment is about the Bush commandment "Thou shalt not talk to Iran: How's Bush supposed to talk in Arabic, Farsi or Persian when he is a home boy from the United States? It is not clear that either Bush or any of his military commanders know what language to talk in! The troops could have been told in their military training course what language they talk in, but instead he left that for troop-spies to find out!
As for "democratizing dictatorships like Chile" it was probably the State Dept Head Condoleeza Rice that told him that. She stands for democratizing dictatorships everywhere!!!! All over dis -- big circular-shaped edifice that is depicted on your Master Card....
Posted By: R. Mendel @ 05/23/2008 4:26:17 PM
Comment: Holmes, the highest death toll I have seen for the South Africa riots TOTAL as of the 22nd is 40 (most are around 25). On the day you refer to, 46 Iraqis were killed (physically accounted for).
Also, your comparison to Chicago is both inaccurate and alarmingly apathetic. I'm really curious -- do you actually think living in Chicago is similar to living in Baghdad? If so, I think you should go investigate. Do Chicago first.