Bush "Americans want Russia to develop a free press and free religion “like Iraq.”

We have no right to impose our form of government on another country. If Russia weren't so weak right now they certainly wouldn't put up with this kind of inane insult. What if Tony Blair told Bush that the U.S. should become a real democracy like the UK? I don't think he or the American people would like it very much.

 

I saw the video with Mr. Putin's snappy comeback. The reporters were cracking up and so was I. Too bad I can't make a dufus sound on my keyboard, but that's exactly what I did when I saw it. What a statesman we have representing us.

The sad part is, President Bush had the perfect opportunity to expound on the benefits of democracy and point to the US and other countries as perfect examples of how when democracy is allowed to take root and grow, creativity, enterprise, invention, and achievement naturally flourish. He could have pointed out a little of the history of America and thrown in some prime examples. What did he choose to do? He chose to cite Iraq as an example of democracy, which it is not - it is an islamic state that he (Bush) set up over there with American blood and treasure, a state which will eventually come under sharia law and civil war where violence, strife, murder, and mayhem flourish instead.

But from the actions of Mr. Bush as leader of hiss own country, he has little regard for democracy or the liberties or the sovreignty of America or the wishes of the people in this democratic republic - as evidenced by his failure to preserve, defend, and protect our borders and by allowing us to be invaded by other nations coming over our borders. If Mr. Bush believes Iraq is a good example of democracy, that doesn't hold much hope for America while under his leadership. The world is laughing at America, while hating America, at the debacle of Iraq under his leadership. History will prove his blunders in Iraq as well as his willful blunders in American national security coupled with his globalist agenda will all contribute to the eventual decline of America as a super power and the inevitable degeneration of America into a third world country.

 

The Road to Insanity

==First those statements prove that Bush, like his father, is out of touch with reality. He has closed himself off from the world and gets his "news" through friendly sources and his "political" advisors. I can't believe that Bush actually said, "my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world, like Iraq, where there’s a free press and free religion". Sadly I know he said it. Reality check time...There is no free press in Iraq. Christians, and others, live in constant fear of murder. I don't call that freedom of religion, its not even toleration.

The "Bush doctrine" of spreading democracy is not working. Nor should anyone expect it to. You cannot force everyone to be like yourself and the more you try the more people will resent you for it. This is true in our personal lives and it is also true between nations. The United States should stay out of Russia's domestic policies. It is none of our business whether they have a free press or not, nor how they hold elections.

Personally I believe that George W Bush should read the farewell address of our first president, George Washington. Bush says that Washington was the "first GW". That maybe true but Bush has shown that he is no George Washington.

Notice what Washington said about these matters...

"The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop....It is our policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world, so far, I mean, as we are now at liberty to do it; for let me not be understood as capable of patronizing infidelity to existing engagements. I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs that honesty is always the best policy."

Point? Have limited alliances with other nations, stay out of their business, conduct trade with them, first and foremost be concerned with American interests. We can support those who face terror (ie..Israel) but we should not fight their battles for them. We should never, and I mean never, submit to any international laws that are contrary to United States law. We should not, as Washington said, just "pull out" of treaties that we have already entered into. That would be an act of dishonesty. We should finish what we have started in Iraq (etc) then we should leave. We should complete our prior commitments to various treaties (etc) but we should not enter into new long term treaties (etc).

Some may say that is isolationism, and maybe it is. However it is high time we stop worrying about everyone else and start worrying about America. Our borders are out of control, we are dependent upon enemy nations for our main source of energy (oil), our schools are in sorry shape, healthcare is a mess, our police and teachers get paid poorly, and on, and on I could go. We need to stop giving money to everyone else because we need that money at home.

There, there is my view. I am against nation building, nation funding, spreading democracy, or whatever you wish to call it. It is not our job to spread democracy. Not only that it is clear that (a) it is not working and (b) we cannot afford it. However as long as we stick with democrats and republicans we will continue to travel on this road to insanity.

 

What you saw and heard was dumb, in that the President mixed his metaphors, a flaw in his speaking style without notes, akin to "foot in mouth." But here is the intent of what he said:

"I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world, like Iraq. (I also talked about promoting free press and free religion.) And I told him that a lot of people in our country would hope that Russia will do the same thing (promote free press and free religion). I fully understand, however, that there will be a Russian-style democracy."

One cannot equate his promotion of institutional change in places like Iraq with his understanding that Russia will have its own-style democracy.

 

I agree, Martin. Great post.