Slip-Sliding Away
By Charley Reese
05/08/08 "Lewrockwell" -- -Despite all the blather about
democracy, we did not invent it, do not support it and have,
during the recent administration, become less democratic than we
were before.
We are and always have been too large a country for a true
democracy. That's why the Founding Fathers created a republic.
In a true democracy, the people would decide practically all the
issues. In a republic, the people delegate that power to elected
representatives who serve for a fixed term.
A republic is a good form of government provided the people pay
attention, fairly judge the performance of their elected
officials and boot 'em out of office when they don't cut the
mustard. It is a good form of government provided the best
people, not the worst, offer themselves to serve in public
office.
Our government really does not support democracy, except
rhetorically. When the Palestinians had a free and fair election
and chose Hamas members to man their government, we refused to
recognize the new government. Apparently, the Bush
administration's definition of a free election is one that
provides the results the president wants.
Most of our "allies" are far from democratic. Egypt, Jordan,
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states are all authoritarian in one
form or another. Ironically, Iran does have an elected
government, but there again, it's one Bush doesn't like. Poor
Hugo Chavez in Venezuela has been elected and re-elected, but
still gets called a tyrant by Bush's step-and-fetch-its. China,
which is a stern one-party dictatorship, seems to find our
favor.
I'd say that if you are a dictator seeking the favor of the
United States, you must offer financial incentives, be a
supporter of Israel or volunteer for lap-dog status.
If you dare indicate that you are interested in the welfare of
your own people and your own nation, you are likely to end up on
the president's bathroom list. This basic rule of foreign policy
doesn't seem to change regardless of which party occupies the
White House.
It also should be noted that people keep insisting that Iran
give up weapons it doesn't have while remaining dead silent
about the nuclear weapons Israel does have. If our government
were truly interested in nuclear nonproliferation, it would
support a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East that includes
Israel and would not be making deals to increase the nuclear
capability of India.
So, the second rule of American foreign policy is that hypocrisy
and expedience trump principles.
Internally, we have become decisively less democratic. The
present administration has a bad habit of questioning the
patriotism and loyalty of people who disagree with it. It spies
on everybody without any judicial restraint. It has riddled the
government with partisans who are incompetent. It is the most
secretive administration in American history. It lies like a
drunken fisherman. It puts people in jail and holds them
incommunicado without charges. It tortures people. It is
contemptuous of the Constitution and especially of the principle
of checks and balances.
Congress is too cowardly to do it, but George W. Bush and Dick
Cheney are a lot more likely to deserve impeachment than Bill
Clinton was. Clinton lied about his private sexual peccadillos,
while the Bush administration seems to lie about everything.
Clinton lied to prevent a war with Hillary, while the Bush mob
lied to get us into a war in Iraq. A big difference, I'd say.
Thomas Jefferson did not believe that one generation had the
right to burden another with debt. Our $9 trillion federal debt
is a burden on generations too numerous to count. This is almost
as serious a civic sin as lying our way into a war.
We seem to be following the familiar path of history where
republics slide into empire and eventually a fascist
dictatorship. Too bad that freedom, like a good wife, is most
appreciated in its absence.
August 4, 2008
Charley Rees has been a journalist for 49 years.
© 2008 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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