Bush's America asks: Why us?
POSTED BY: Ghoulman
UPDATED: Tuesday, October 5, 2004 12:49
VIEWED: 18384
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Bush's America asks: Why us?
By Imad Khadduri
Monday 27 September 2004, 3:03 Makka Time, 0:03 GMT
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/BD2F209D-4C66-4824-96A6-184F23A
C8ABC.htm
As the US presidential elections approach, the American public is facing an important challenge and responsibility as it is confronted by the spectre of a dangerous potential outcome of a second Bush term.
President Bush's public pronouncements and stated efforts to build democracy in Iraq (after failed weapons of mass destruction and al-Qaida accusations) are underpinned by a misguided view of America's own democracy.
He [Bush] believes that American democracy works because Americans are innately good people, believing in values of tolerance and respect for others and guided by religious faith.
The Bush doctrine also equates security at home with the spread of freedom and democracy at the point of a gun elsewhere in the world.
"I believe that America is called to lead the cause of freedom in a new century," Bush told the nation in accepting his party's presidential nomination on 2 September.
"I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for their liberty. I believe that given the chance, they will embrace the most honourable form of government ever devised by man.
I believe all these things because freedom is not America's gift to the world, it is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world."
This president believes that he was placed in the White House by a higher power in order to win the war on terrorism, the pivotal struggle of our time. It is this, more than anything, that divides America, stretches its military, bleeds its federal coffers and has led to the occupation of two states, and the deaths of tens of thousands of humans.
If, in the president's view, the goodness of Americans and the nobility of their mission are self-evident, then the failure of peoples around the world to see the resistance against the occupation in Iraq in the same way, means that they are "enemies of freedom".
Fighters opposing American power, even if they are residents of the occupied country, do not merit the protections of international law, while 20,000 mercenaries in "sovereign" Iraq are still beyond any law.
Institutional restraints on the exercise of power by Americans in detention centres and prisons can, in this view, safely be relaxed. Moreover, constitutional protections can be denied even to American citizens, arrested in the United States, when they are suspected of being "enemy combatants."
In an article by Robert O Keohane and Annie-Marie Slaughter in the IHT on 23 June 2003 titled "Bush's mistaken view of US Democracy", the democratic challenge is stark: "Behind the debate about the conduct of the war in Iraq, and the occupation, is a larger divide - between those Americans who believe that their unique virtues should permit them to act above the law, and those who believe that people in authority, necessarily imperfect, must be constrained by institutions and by law.
Those who understand and believe in the theory of the American Constitution should reject the Bush administration's political theory of personal good and evil. We must continue to insist that the United States is a "government of laws and not of men".
In a recently published book, "Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency", the senior senator from West Virginia, Robert Byrd, perceives so grave a threat to constitutional government that he proclaims: "Never, in my view, had America been led by such a dangerous head of state."
Byrd quotes the advice of Herman Goering to rulers who seek to enhance their power: "Whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship ... all you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger."
The American Constitution established a system of checks and balances, by which Congress, the president and the courts each check each
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^^^ I thought this was a well written article. Something Aljazeera manages to do far more often than, well, let's say CBS. 
Here is someone pointing out the obvious... the crazy, murdering, fundamentalist, terrorists are well matched by crazy, murdering, fundamentalist, Americans.
Americans simply are so fat, comfortable, and deluded they actually voted that freak Bush into the White Hou.... oh wait.
Americans didn't do that. Bush stole the election.
BUT ... America DID attack a nation for no reason. No, it wasn't an "intellegence mistake". As Bob Woodward and others have pointed out, the Bush White House had plans on Iraq even before 9/11.
Now that this has happened, the USA has shown itself, as it has for decades in Central America as well as Vietnam, to be a nation of murdering corporate profiteers.
After all... can anyone tell me why the USA is occupieing Iraq, torturing civilians and bombing peoples homes? Anyone at all...
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Quote:Bush gave Americans a Fear Pill and most everyone swallowed it. To quote Yoda, "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate..."
Originally posted by Ghoulman:
After all... can anyone tell me why the USA is occupieing Iraq, torturing civilians and bombing peoples homes? Anyone at all...
Well it's true. I work with a bunch of Christian conservatives and they are all convinced Iraq is Satan's Land and Bush is doing the right thing.
I am appalled at how many Americans, Christians no less, are glad we invaded Iraq. The love of Jesus, turning the other cheek - where did that go?
My non-Christian friends are the ones opposed to the war. It's kind of strange.
"... all you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger."
Yup. So sad, isn't it?
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^^^ well, it's not surprising at all, Christians slaughtering innocents as a matter of faith... kinda like certain other religions that are centered around Jerusalem. 
Bush called it a crusade, his message was clear.
Notice the Dali Lama never encouraged anyone to fly a plane into anything or send in troops. 
You know, I live in a lilly white piece o Canada and here it's not any different. It's not like Americans have a patent on stupidity and ignorance (though I'll have to check, Microsoft has been all over the patent office lately). The American belief that we live in a democratic nirvana is pounded into our little minds by every TV show and movie ever made, not to mention the usual political baloney as opposed to the Nazi like ideology of the Bushites. Heck, your parents would certainly slap your mouth if you said anything against some American icon like Miss America or some such other sickening fantasy put forth since the frellin' 50s to brainwash people into becomming complacent lumps of consumerism.
(Note: the ideology of the "Bushites" is just for the TV, if not brainless Bush himself - the truth is Dick Cheney and his Nixon creeps are just up to the old tricks... always follow the money).
And we will remain this way until the oil runs out and our industrial age economy is left behind by a world that increasingly sees America as being the enemy of lawful freedom, not to mention simple human rights (like horribly torturing civilians). Oops! TOO LATE!
That's the thing, the people right now have NO CLUE what this all means or what the future will hold. Well, let me tell ya (yet again)...
War for your children, at least another 10 years.
More attacks on American soil. Revenge is best served right after someone totures your Mom and rides her around like a donkey.
No economic change, we remain an oil economy because tptb have no interest in change. And they don't have too.
We will continue to live in a world that looks more and more like the original Robocop movie. A parody of American freedom, law, and values.
All this has been going on since the 50s of course. But it's important to understand that it's the 21st century now. Now, we have to start understanding whats really going on with those who control our lives... fascism.
Don't think it can't happen. Don't think it hasn't already. The current election in the USA is being watched VERY closely by everyone else in the world with just this in mind.
And yes, Bush will "win".
Oh my... hope the boss can't hear me typing furiously like this...
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Bush really needs to make the distinction between what's right and what's right for me. He's decided that he's right and therefore he shoves his ideas down everybody elses throats. It's almost humorous that he's decided that Democracy is the best form of Goverment, and that Iraq should be thanking the God almighty for the US coming in and SAVING them. After all, Bush presents himself as the head of a dictatorship rather than a democracy. Granted he isn't as blunt as his vice president who will tell you to F off if you disagree in a senate meeting but he's basically given that message to anyone else that disagrees with him, including the UN. It's also mildly funny that the guy who talks about the gift of freedom has decided to call anyone that says anything about the government having ties to 9-11 a terrorist.
Isn't there also supposed to be a separation between church and state? I really thought that the separation was supposed to prevent National judgements to be based on religious affliation rather than to ban prayer from the classroom. I could be wrong though, but I really think a little quiet time at the begining of the school day is a little less detrimental to our society than asking the pope about medical procedures. (Don't think that I'm advocating prayer in school, it just seems to be used most often in the case of separation between church and state).
And there is a number of people who are thinking about voting in Bush for a second term just because they don't want to change Government in Wartime. It's not just because they are religious right wings. But my problem with that is that if we vote in Bush for another 4 years be sure that we've going to be in either Iran, North Korea, or Seria next.
Just my two cents.
Becki
Kaylee: Wash, tell me I'm pretty
Wash: Were I unwed I would take you in a manly fashion
Kaylee: 'Cause I'm pretty?
Wash: 'Cause you're pretty
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I'll take that 2 cents and raise you a dollar! Nicely done.
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Why is GHOULMAN always starting political posts about the American election when he lives in Canada? Just wondering.
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^^^ because it looks like 1936 Germany down south. The entire world is looking at the USA... and not in a good way. 
Of course, the real reason I post here is merely somethng to do at lunch. The fact that I win every arguement while munching curry apple sandwiches just goes to show how easy it is.
Why it's so hard for Americans to do this while I can do it (and I'm a moron! Really.) reminds us of people who had an outside perspective in 1936 Germany. It's very easy for even intellegent, educated people to accept what thier 'culture' tells them. Or thier President.
Here is an article I found that illustrates my point. SAves me from ranting... be thankful I post these articles and have a job. If I didn't I'd be at it allll day. I've killed dragons with mere ASCII text!
Establishment Media Plagued by 'Coincidence Theorists'
Michael Hasty | September 27 2004
In his eyewitness account of "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," author William Shirer, who lived in Nazi Germany throughout most of the 1930s, described a phenomenon that will, in 2004, seem disturbingly familiar to Americans who dissent from the policies of the Bush regime.
Click for more...
http://www.propagandamatrix.com/articles/september2004/270904coinciden
cetheorists.htm
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Quote:
The fact that I win every arguement while munching curry apple sandwiches just goes to show how easy it is.
You will always believe what you want to believe. It is that simple. You are one of those people who beleive that President Bush "Stole" the election and ever since have swalowed the lies shoved in the faces of the people who read and watch the news.
If the puplic opinion from canada/france/germany/rusia and more are against us, then that tells me I know we are doing something right. Jsut because most people dont agree, doesn't make it wrong. And don't compare the US to "1930's" Germany. To do so shows ignorance and blind rampage posting.
And you're *not* a moron. I can tell from the composing of your posts. You may be wrong, but that doesn't make you a moron :)
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Quote:
Originally posted by JimNightshade:
]And don't compare the US to "1930's" Germany. To do so shows ignorance and blind rampage posting.
And you're *not* a moron. I can tell from the composing of your posts. You may be wrong, but that doesn't make you a moron :)
Well, you better tell Ralf Nader that because that's what he compared the current polemic in the USA too.
You need to understand, we (we of the other countries) have always seen the USA has a fairly fascistic state (since RR for my Gen-X and the Kennedy assassination too I suppose). Right now you're just showing your true colours. You see... it's already happened.
And I am a moron. I'm only pointing out the drop dead obvious... that's why I always win these arguements. Understand, the paid liars who represent the Republicans online (well, some Republicans.. *chuckle*) are well educated. They problably hold philosophy majors or are experienced writers. Me? I'm a Maritimer who barely got through High School! I went to Art School! That's the next best thing to getting a lobotomy!
If I, basically red neck trash, can defeat the rhetoric posted here by liars for the Whitee House... what is the rest of Amricas problem? I'll tell ya... they just aren't on TV. They aren't in the paper. The USA is a fascist state.
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