Where's the Principle?!?
I really don't get this. We Americans worry a bunch with this notion of "freedom," especially that of other nations. All while disrespecting the balance of the different types of sovereign rule that exist in the world. Surely, do we really want to convert all nations in the world into a democratic rule? Is it really the only way to rule sovereignty, and simply the best?
There is this organization founded by prominent Americans, including Eleanor Roosevelt, in 1941, called Freedom House, which publishes an annual Map of Freedom. It is more or less a report card that a bunch of ethnocentric think-tankers put together grading other nations based on an ethnocentric approach to the definition of "free." Sounds noble at first, doesn't it?
Well, undoubtedly you will see one of the headlines in today's edition (Monday, July 23, 2007) of USA Today that Americans are now worried about the newly elected Prime Minister of Turkey. Apparently we are concerned that Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan may have an Islamic agenda against the mostly secular, pro-Western rule since adopted by Turkey national founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923. Really! And this concerns us because?!?
It seems like a lot of Americans are simply jaded at the notion of freedom and democracy. We say one thing, and act differently. We want other nations to be more secular, yet our own nation is heavily influenced by Christians, an overwhelming majority. When I hear politicians mention the words "family values," all I can imagine is a pandering for votes from the religious Christians. We are against theocracies, especially those involving Islam. What if Turkey was to adopt a theocracy based on strict Christianity? Would we have been against it? I doubt it. Personally, I think this is just an extension of the centuries-long holy war between Christians and Muslims, only that it is modified to fit the modern political climate.
Seriously... And we call ourselves a good democratic government? Our government is so heavily based on a two party system, even though it is unofficially so. Our national mandates all boil down to either pro-GOP or pro-Democrat. How polarizing. Green party? Or any other? Ha ha, good luck with influencing any kind of public policy with such an alignment.
Consider this. Not that many years ago, Americans fought to break away from the tyrannical rule of the English, all in the name of democracy and freedom. Cool. I like that. But the resulting United States government will not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, because it wants to appease to the communist Chinese so that we can make money in their emerging, hot market. Never mind the fact that Taiwan's government was the original Chinese democratic body kicked out of China by then emerging Communists!
As Taiwan battles for freedom and democracy, China continues to make threats against us that if we were to recognize Taiwan as an independent, democratic state, then there will be repercussions. And as Americans, we actually listen and dance our public policies around this? Whatever happened to the policy of not negotiating with staunch opponents? We stand for democracy, but when it comes to potentially making lots of money, screw democracy. Screw the basic principles we were founded on.
Wow. And yet, we managed to continue criticizing other governments. Isn't that just plain shady, if not fucked up? Our government is the biggest flip-flopper there is!!! The point of all this? Whenever I read something like today's USA Today headline, it irks the crap out of me. It elicits the same reaction from me as when a convicted pedophile criticizes other countries for not have strong enough laws to protect their little children from sexual predators. Rather hypocritical, huh?
There is this organization founded by prominent Americans, including Eleanor Roosevelt, in 1941, called Freedom House, which publishes an annual Map of Freedom. It is more or less a report card that a bunch of ethnocentric think-tankers put together grading other nations based on an ethnocentric approach to the definition of "free." Sounds noble at first, doesn't it?
Well, undoubtedly you will see one of the headlines in today's edition (Monday, July 23, 2007) of USA Today that Americans are now worried about the newly elected Prime Minister of Turkey. Apparently we are concerned that Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan may have an Islamic agenda against the mostly secular, pro-Western rule since adopted by Turkey national founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923. Really! And this concerns us because?!?
It seems like a lot of Americans are simply jaded at the notion of freedom and democracy. We say one thing, and act differently. We want other nations to be more secular, yet our own nation is heavily influenced by Christians, an overwhelming majority. When I hear politicians mention the words "family values," all I can imagine is a pandering for votes from the religious Christians. We are against theocracies, especially those involving Islam. What if Turkey was to adopt a theocracy based on strict Christianity? Would we have been against it? I doubt it. Personally, I think this is just an extension of the centuries-long holy war between Christians and Muslims, only that it is modified to fit the modern political climate.
Seriously... And we call ourselves a good democratic government? Our government is so heavily based on a two party system, even though it is unofficially so. Our national mandates all boil down to either pro-GOP or pro-Democrat. How polarizing. Green party? Or any other? Ha ha, good luck with influencing any kind of public policy with such an alignment.
Consider this. Not that many years ago, Americans fought to break away from the tyrannical rule of the English, all in the name of democracy and freedom. Cool. I like that. But the resulting United States government will not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, because it wants to appease to the communist Chinese so that we can make money in their emerging, hot market. Never mind the fact that Taiwan's government was the original Chinese democratic body kicked out of China by then emerging Communists!
As Taiwan battles for freedom and democracy, China continues to make threats against us that if we were to recognize Taiwan as an independent, democratic state, then there will be repercussions. And as Americans, we actually listen and dance our public policies around this? Whatever happened to the policy of not negotiating with staunch opponents? We stand for democracy, but when it comes to potentially making lots of money, screw democracy. Screw the basic principles we were founded on.
Wow. And yet, we managed to continue criticizing other governments. Isn't that just plain shady, if not fucked up? Our government is the biggest flip-flopper there is!!! The point of all this? Whenever I read something like today's USA Today headline, it irks the crap out of me. It elicits the same reaction from me as when a convicted pedophile criticizes other countries for not have strong enough laws to protect their little children from sexual predators. Rather hypocritical, huh?
posted by StHalcyon at
02:02
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