Bush's Dilemma

You have to pity President Bush. Your heart goes out to him in his suffering. Even he must see the inconsistencies between what he says and what he sees in the world around him. He preaches democracy throughout the world, offering it as this generation's Great Crusade. His logic is sound. Democracies don't start wars, so if we democratize the world we will enter upon an era of endless peace filled with free trade and affordable health care. Yet, reality intrudes upon his bliss. In Lebanon, Hezbollah is favored at the polls. The Palestinians elect Hamas, a terrorist political party. Bush threatens the people with cutting off foreign aid so long as they pursue their notion of democracy. We have installed democracy in Iraq, yet the war goes on with no end in sight. Iran democratically elected a madman who exhorts his people to develop nuclear weapons and wipe Israel off the map. Bush's response to this exercise in democracy seems likely to be to bomb Iran's bomb facilities, thereby demonstrating to the Iranians and the rest of the world that not all democracies are equal.

If we look really hard, we can find other inconsistencies between the Ideal and the Real. Consider this snippet from Reason magazine, March 2006, "Chinese authorities have arrested more than 100,000 members of the Falun Gong religious movement and sent at least 20,000 to labor camps. According to Chinese human rights activists, members of unregistered religious groups who are imprisoned are forced to make Christmas lights that are sold for export." There is nothing democratic or free market about China, yet it is our favorite trading partner, one to whom we are more than willing to send our jobs. Bush threatens them not. Is it possible that size matters?

Poor George! He hangs upon the Cross of Democracy, his suffering obvious, and we hear his cry, "Oh Cheney, why hast thou forsaken me?" But Cheney hears him not, for he is still chugging across the country exhorting the people that Saddam has WMD and is certain to use them.