Democracy Hypocrisy, Part 18

Ten Nobel Peace Prize Winners Take Aim at USA

'After the painful events of September 11, I wish that America would have built a school in Afghanistan in the name of every victim,'' said Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian judge and 2003 Peace Prize recipient. ''When someone claims he has a vision from God to bring war to Iraq, this is a kind of terrorism.'' Only the Dalai Lama, whose speech during the first public event of a three-day event at the University of Denver as interrupted when a fire alarm went off, didn't take a direct jab at the U.S. Instead the Dalai Lama called on the world to open itself to religious tolerance. PeaceJam, a Colorado-based program in its 10th year, hosts conventions around the world, bringing teenagers together with Nobel laureates to talk about what they can do to promote peace. Founders Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff say the interaction between the teens and laureates can build a generation that will tackle the big issues of poverty, disease and war. One after the other Saturday night, the laureates thanked the crowd that rose to its feet before and after each speech, and then called on Americans to do something about their government's foreign policy. From efforts to close the border with Mexico, to Iraq, to arms exports, the Nobel laureates had words for the U.S. government. ''Stand up. Take action,'' said Jody Williams, the 1997 recipient for her work opposing land mines, and the only American to take the stage.
''Don't try to bring democracy to people you don't understand through the barrel of a gun and leave them with civil war.''

Yes, the idea that you can impose democracy via bullets and bombs is totally ludicrous. I have never believed that was the bush administration’s intentions. I don’t believe that they care one whit about freedom and democracy for other people. And this is the basis for my series of posts on DEMOCRACY HYPOCRISY here on this blog. The only democracy that bush is bringing to Iraq is the democracy of death. The only freedom that bush is bringing to Iraq is the freedom of the grave.