Al Jazeera Opinion Article: President Obama, say the "D-Word" (democracy)

[Better Believe It]

President Obama, say the 'D-Word'
US appears to shy away from talk about democracy in Middle East, despite historic anti-government rallies in ally Egypt.
By Mark LeVine
January 28, 2011

It's incredible, really. The president of the United States can't bring himself to talk about democracy in the Middle East. He can dance around it, use euphemisms, throw out words like "freedom" and "tolerance" and "non-violent" and especially "reform," but he can't say the one word that really matters: democracy.

How did this happen? After all, in his famous 2009 Cairo speech to the Muslim world, Obama spoke the word loudly and clearly - at least once.

Of course, this was just rhetoric, however lofty, reflecting a moment when no one was rebelling against the undemocratic governments of our allies - at least not openly and in a manner that demanded international media coverage.

Now it's for real.

And "democracy" is scarcely to be heard on the lips of the president or his most senior officials.

Read the full article at:

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/01/201112811331582261.html#

[dipsydoodle]

1. The US is ok about democracy abroad

just as long as their man gets elected. If not then it don't really matter.

[PaddyBlueEyes]

2. I hope he understands this

Mr President...This is our chance. You came into office saying, you wanted to change the culture of US/Middle East relations? Here is your chance. Stand with the Egyptian people and pressure Mubarak out. This is a historic opportunity for you to show the "arab street" you are different than your predecessor, that we are a different nation. Stand with those, fighting for freedom against a brutal autocratic regime. Do it now, this may be our best, last chance..

[jaxx]

3. What a shame, PBO stands with the people of Egypt

and LeVine says it's not good enough! Really, he's stirring the pot when there is no need to do so. But then, that isn't the idea, is it?

[frazzled]

4. The neocons always talk about "democracy"

Don't fall for the talk. G.W. Bush and Rumsfeld and Cheney were always talking about "democracy" in the Middle East. Human rights is all we should be talking about. It's not our job to promote particular forms of government.

[Better Believe It]

6. Democracy means civil liberties, democratic and human rights which all progressives stand for ....

no matter what nation they may live in.

And we are right to advocate and defend those goals in the entire world.

Different forms of government under different economic systems can protect and guarantee such rights, not just one form.

So progressives outside of Egypt are not for the most part "promoting" a particular form of government or economy.

Of course, advocates of a socialist or a capitalist economy do advocate their economic systems world-wide and will find many supporters in the mass protest movement within Egypt.

[frazzled]

7. Democracy and human rights are not necessarily coterminous

As progressives said about Iraq: the issue is human rights, not promoting democracy. Think about the completely democratically elected National Socialist Party in Germany in the 1930s: the ultimate proof that democracy and human rights are not the same thing.

[Better Believe It]

8. Democratic rights isn't just about elections. It goes way beyond that.

To suggest democracy simply means elections, democratic ones or otherwise, misses the real point and meaning of democratic rights.

What does our Bill of Rights say about elections?

We are taught to think that democracy simply means voting for people. That's a pretty narrow definition which serves the interests of ruling rich who try to hide their power under the guise of democratic elections.

[purrFect]

5. not likely, since they won't like who the people elect e.g. palestine

we prefer brutal dictators over democracy, every time.