Political Whispers: A Look Into Today's World of Dark Politics

DIPLOMACY WAS NEVER BUSH’S STRONG SUITE

By Schuyler Thorpe
Author and Political Activist

Though he’s trying to come off sounding and looking like a state-officiate of democracy and freedom, the sad truth is, none of the authoritarian ruling families controlling the Middle Eastern bloc are all that interested in spreading democracy, freedom, or rights for all its ruling class citizens.

But let’s not confuse political fantasy and hubris with reality here.

George Bush was never the type of man whom could link freedom with democracy if it bit him in the ass.

He is more of a showman with hat rather than all talk then action.

For Bush, an opportunity for a photo-op is more plausible than actually having to do the hard work himself. (Explains why he doles out the real job tasks at hand to unqualified cronies.)

This way, he can get off the blame train by saying that at least he tried, but points out that isn’t his fault that nothing fruitful came of his visits.

The sadder part to this whole Presidency is the fact that our own President of the United States never believed in real diplomacy–let alone real democracy.

A product of the Cold War, people like Bush always favored heavy-handed actions and strong, tough talk. People of this constituency rarely relied on real diplomatic overtures and ideals of freedom.

For them, they see enemies whether they exist or not. For them, there is no middle ground. No alternative path to take–in case things get bad.

And for the last 8 years, things have gotten bad for us.

Only because our Commander-in-Chief had completely abandoned the fine arts of diplomacy and democracy; in favor of fear and blind rhetoric.

The result?

We now see the results of an insulated administration trying to get back in touch with the real world.

And quite frankly? It’s quite embarrassing to watch a once powerful man stumble his through the routines of reaching out and claiming to be a champion of freedom and justice.

I know it. Our international allies know it.

But Bush?

I highly doubt that he even knows it.

Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.com

Labels: abandoned, allies, democracy, diplomacy, hubris, insulated, Middle East, President Bush

posted by Schuyler Thorpe @ 7:14 PM 0 comments

RUSSIA’S POWER GRAB SHOULDN’T ALARM U.S.

By Schuyler Thorpe
Author and Political Activist

It’s official: Vladimir Putin’s power grab seems–by all accounts–a threat to democracy and the freedom of the press.

But before we start harping on what Russia is doing, maybe we should–instead–take a look at what we are doing to our own country:

Bush and Cheney have made it a point to disregard the powers of the Oval Office since taking the reins in 2001.

In doing so, they have usurped the power of the government, Congress, and the people–in a concentrated (and visible) effort to build themselves an imperial democracy that pretty much runs parallel to something you see in any of George Lucas’s movies.

The Patriot Act was created to destroy many of the protections afforded by the US Constitution. It allows the government to search and seize personal property with any of us knowing.

It also lets the government consider any one of us a threat to the US and its fight for democracy and freedom (commonly known as the war on terror). This in turn let’s the US seize American citizens and charge them as being an “enemy of the state”.

Holding them indefinitely without charge.

Coupled with the illegal spying, media censorship, torture of prisoners (also known in the CIA as “rendition flights”), why is Condoleezza Rice so up at arms over what Putin is doing in his own country?

After all, he pretty much has seen what we’ve done here in the United States.

Why should he have any worry about what we say and do? After all, one only has to look into the infamous history of the Soviet Union during the Cold War–and you will easily see how the US and Russia are now kindred spirits.

A chip off the ol’ block as it were.

It just took 50 years for the U.S. to finally do what the USSR had done for that long: Become a mirror image of its former enemy.

Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.com

Labels: Cold War, Constitution, democracy, enemy, George Lucas, illegal detention, illegal spying, imperial presidency, power grab, Russia, Star Wars, unlimited power, US, USSR

posted by Schuyler Thorpe @ 5:32 PM 0 comments