With its ruling yesterday in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, the United States Supreme Court has announced the beginning of the end of America’s noble experiment with democracy. It was beautiful while it lasted.
Posts Tagged 'democracy'
The End-Game for American Democracy
Published 22 January 2010 America , Politics & Policy 1 CommentTags: campaign finance, Citizens United, corporate interests, democracy, Federal Elections Commission, supreme court, US Supreme Court
The People Fight Back
Published 1 October 2008 Environment , India , Politics & Policy , Service 1 CommentTags: Balamohan, beach, beaches, coast, corruption, democracy, development, Environment, erosion, government, Govind Singh Gurjar, Khairwal, Pondicherry, port, protest, Puducherry, rule of law, Thiru. V. Vaithilingam, Valsaraj
Yesterday was a good day for democracy in Pondicherry. The people took to the streets to protest a government which, time-and-again, deftly protects the private interests of its corrupt officials, disregards the public good, and holds itself to be above the law.
The issue concerns the ongoing battle over the illegal concession given to a private developer by former Chief Secretary Khairwal and Minister Valsaraj to build a huge port complex in the heart of this tiny heritage town, and the vast environmental, economic, and social devastation this development will cause.
Democracy Envy
Published 17 July 2006 America , Politics & Policy Leave a CommentTags: Bush, democracy, George W. Bush, Iraq, Putin, Russia, Vladimir Putin
Five years ago, President Bush, looked Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin in the eyes and pronounced him a worthy soul. Mr. Putin, having looked into Mr. Bush’s eyes, clearly saw the lights on, but no one home. In the years that have passed, Mr. Putin has made the most of his new-best-friend’s disengagement.
Continue reading ‘Democracy Envy’
Why Iraq?
Published 28 May 2006 Politics & Policy Leave a CommentTags: Afghanistan, Bush, Central Asia, Cheney, democracy, domino effect, foreign policy, Gulf War, interventionism, Iraq, Middle East, nation-building, neocon, neoconservatism, Pakistan, realpolitik, Saddam Hussain, Saudi Arabia, Taliban, theocracy, war
Let’s try to take the neoconservatives at their word. The invasion of Iraq was never about oil. And it was never about “finishing the job” Bush pere left undone following the first Gulf war. It was not even about establishing a base of military operations in this critical region which would allow America to begin to distance itself from its problematic alliance with the Saudis.
It was solely about replacing a murderous, autocratic regime with a democracy, which would then embolden democratic reformers throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. Iraq was to be the first domino in the democratization of the region.
Let’s leave aside the fact that metaphor was always a little careless. Dominoes topple a bit more easily than governments, systems of government, and the social values that have enabled or created those systems. Fallen dominoes dispossess no one, threaten no stakeholders, and force no radical realignment of interdomino relations. And they leave far less collateral damage.
Also try to ignore, as the neocons themselves did, that democracy in much of the Islamic world is likely to yield popularly elected theocracy. I personally have no problem with this notion; but I can’t help imagining it would have troubled the neocons, had it occurred to them.
One must still wonder: why Iraq?
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