Every American should read this piece out of “The Hindu.”

[kpete]

Opinion - News Analysis

George Bush go home

Arundhati Roy

It's not in our power to stop Bush's visit. It is in our power to protest it, and we will.

..................

ON HIS triumphalist tour of this part of the world, where he hopes to wave imperiously at people he considers potential subjects, President Bush's itinerary is getting curiouser and curiouser. For his 2nd of March pit stop in New Delhi, the Indian Government tried very hard to have him address our Parliament. A not inconsequential number of MPs threatened to heckle him, so Plan One was hastily shelved. Plan Two was that he address the masses from the ramparts of the magnificent Red Fort where the Indian Prime Minister traditionally delivers his Independence Day address. But the Red Fort, surrounded as it is by the predominantly Muslim population of Old Delhi, was considered a security nightmare. So now we're into Plan Three: President George Bush speaks from Purana Qila, the Old Fort.

.....................

Since the Purana Qila also houses the Delhi zoo, George Bush's audience will be a few hundred caged animals and an approved list of caged human beings who in India go under the category of "eminent persons." They're mostly rich folk who live in our poor country like captive animals, incarcerated by their own wealth, locked and barred in their gilded cages, protecting themselves from the threat of the vulgar and unruly multitudes whom they have systematically dispossessed over the centuries.

So what's going to happen to George W Bush? Will the gorillas cheer him on? Will the gibbons curl their lips? Will the brow-antlered deer sneer? Will the chimps make rude noises? Will the owls hoot? Will the lions yawn and the giraffes bat their beautiful eyelashes? Will the crocs recognise a kindred soul? Will the quails give thanks that Bush isn't travelling with Dick Cheney, his hunting partner with the notoriously bad aim? Will the CEOs agree?

Oh, and on the 2nd of March, Bush will be taken to visit Gandhi's memorial in Rajghat. He's by no means the only war criminal who has been invited by the Indian Government to lay flowers at Rajghat. (Only recently we had the Burmese dictator General Than Shwe — no shrinking violet himself.) But when George Bush places flowers on that famous slab of highly polished stone, millions of Indians will wince. It will be as though he has poured a pint of blood on the memory of Gandhi.

We really would prefer that he didn't.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/28/stories/2006022804301100.htm
via:http://www.teambio.org/2006/02/black-and-white/#more-2847

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Arundhati Roy is one of my favorite people.

A truth teller.

[bullimiami]

2. she is butt kicking awesome.

[mom cat]

6. She always does! ... K&R for the gorillas.

[Deja Q]

3. Well, if the author has a job given to him and his buddies from the USA

He can go to Bollywood and become a fine actor.

A country is represented not only by political leaders, but by business leaders too. And when the political side goes out to help the corporate side, there is no room for a double standard.

[AlinPA]

4. Wow. This following line is incredible. It can be said of countries all

over the world:
"Nothing the Happynews Papers say can change the fact that all over India from the biggest cities to the smallest villages, in public places and private homes — George W. Bush, incumbent President of the United States of America, world nightmare incarnate, is just not welcome. — © Arundhati Roy "

[0007]

5. Maha article

This is what happened to George W Bush after crafting his black and white view of the world. As we all know George W Bush used terrorism to frighten Americans into voting for him. Now that we have him, he doesn’t need to lead, because everyone already knows that Arab terrorists are the evil we are fighting. So, is it any surprise that when the country of the United Arab Emirates wanted to take over control of 6 of our major ports someone would be frightened into asking, “Is this safe?” George W Bush the originator of this fear should have known, because he planted the seeds. Or was it Karl Rove? Well, someone should have anticipated the fear of the American people.

But the fear of terrorism isn’t the only seeds that George W Bush planted. He planted fear all around the world when he invaded Iraq. Every small defenseless country began to ask themselves if George W Bush and the USA could be trusted. Even the large nuclear powers like India don’t care for the “invade first ask questions later policy of this administration. And why should they, because actions speak louder than words.

The disadvantage of living in America is that one doesn’t really know how the rest of the world views us. However, occasionally I do stumble over something that gives me pause. And, every American should read this piece out of “The Hindu.” Reading the thoughts and feelings of someone who views the crazy policy of the Bush administration from the outside should help Americans understand how we effect the world.

[ikojo]

7. Arundhati Roy is awesome!

Generally spot on that's for sure.