Bush to Arab world: Give citizens more freedoms

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt (AP) -- At the start of his Mideast trip, President Bush gave Israel glowing praise. As it ended on Sunday, the president gave the Arab world a stern lecture: Isolate state sponsors of terror and give citizens more freedoms.

"Too often in the Middle East, politics has consisted of one leader in power and the opposition in jail," Bush said at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East. "The time has come for nations across the Middle East to abandon these practices, and treat their people with the dignity and respect they deserve."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/05/18/bush.mideast.ap/index.html

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Don Siegelman, anyone??

[Turbineguy]

1. "Here's....

some of ours!"

[Mudoria]

2. Even a moron occasionally says something

that makes sense.

[Spouting Horn]

4. Arabs

are generally not interested in Western style "freedoms", especially those foisted upon them at the point of a bayonet.

Whereas Westerners value freedom, (mostly Muslim) Arabs value virtue (based upon Islam and their traditions), virtually all of which fly in the face of Western values.

[calimary]

25. That's the point, spot-on. Besides, how many of 'em are going to take ANYTHING he says

with either an open mind or a straight face?

"The guy's a loser. Hated. D'ja see his numbers? Even America hates him. Like anything he's said so far has been worth noting, in the first place - has he ever been correct about anything? Has he even told the truth about anything? Does he even know what planet he's on?"

That kind of thing.

He's a joke. A sad, pathetic joke at this point.

I suspect everyone pretty much realizes what this is: a cosmetic effort to prop up his image and a last-gasp fishing trip to search for anything that might help him score somewhere internationally. He's gotta try to find something (or his handlers do, on his behalf, anyway) to put SOME sorta lipstick on that pig. It's gonna take more time and more effort than they have. Instead, they're tasked with making a working internal combustion engine out of a turd blossom. All the king's horses and all the king's men... and all that.

NO ONE wants to listen to this hose-head anymore. Nor do they want to have to care about anything he says. And now it's obvious because the whole world knows he's on the way out - and they no longer have to. Once they were compelled at least to act like they cared, and they had to do the protocol and they had to be friendly and try at least to seem as though they were making an effort to cooperate. Now they can all sneer at him and tell him to go cheney himself.

You're a has-been, george. You're such a loser that you're STILL "in office" and you're already in the international discard bin. They were probably looking at their watches the whole time you were speaking, or texting somebody or something. You're such a joke that your "term" isn't even over and ALREADY the historians have weighed in with their verdict. It's that easy and THAT obvious. Worst President EVER. Certainly one of the WORST WORLD "LEADERS" in ALL of human history.

Maybe that's why people still attended his speeches. To see it with their own eyes - so they could tell their grandchildren - "I actually saw him give that speech, on his final trip through here - when everybody was eagerly counting the days."

Welcome to DU! Your assessment is correct. Besides, democracy wasn't designed as a system that you force down somebody else's throat at gunpoint. That's not what it's about. AT ALL.

[VP505]

14. Yes, it makes sense, and

it also make him a damned HYPOCRITE considering that his policies have done little in the Arab world as well as here in this country to provide "the dignity and respect they deserve".

[Mike Daniels]

41. What seems to escape him is that most of the leaders that put the opposition in jail were

only leaders themselves because they were propped up by the US and other western powers.

[LynnTheDem]

37. Too bad he keeps taking our freedoms away.

He is a moron; he never says anything that makes sense.

[FirstLight]

3. This coming from the man who has dismantled our Bill of Rights?

I am so sick of him telling ohter how to treat their people when he is guilty of such atrocities!

somebody needs to get rid of the whole bunch, asap! :mad:

(not fun to wake up to this bushit first thing! grrrr)

[Joe Bacon]

15. Nobody has done more to destroy the Constitution than Bush has

It will take a generation to wash his skid marks off of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights!

[InkAddict]

5. Everday's "Worst Person in the World":

STHU - When does he ever stop meddling in how people live, anywhere, and just GO AWAY!

[Turner Ashby]

6. His speech in Israel was basically a call to war

which was why it was so wildly and enthusiastically greeted by the Knesset who are willing to fight to the last American. There is never such an abrogation of human rights as war. Bush has a big mouth.

God Bless America.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

7. American citizen to Bush: Pull your head outta your ass.

Matthew 7:3-5

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

[xxqqqzme]

26. numbnuts would not understand that quote.

and I mean, literally, he would not understand it.

[ToughLuck]

8. What a fucking hypocrit, I am sick to death of listening to this blatant liar.

Bush destroyed any semblance of democracy, and will continue to lie in order to help McCain. His appeaser speech against Obama was proof of that. Bush telling anyone how to conduct their government is a hideous joke. To the ME, take our Constitution, we are not using it much any longer.
Fuck you Bush and Cheney.

[whistle]

9. Bush diplomacy, "....do what I tell you to do, don't do what I do"

:wtf:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

10. I wonder if he recommended warrantless wire taps as one of the key Arab freedoms

I see Junior's Mideast fatwa as just the kind of healing balm these bastards have needed for a long time.

:sarcasm:

[closeupready]

39. Very good (sacastic) point.

n/t

[14thColony]

11. "one leader in power and the opposition in jail"

That'll be Bush's slogan for his third term in office. He's just jealous they already got to do what he just dreams of.

[Beausoleil]

38. "one leader in power and the opposition in jail"

Kinda like Alabama?

[krispos42]

12. Says the Arab world:

"What? What? I'm sorry, I can't here you over of the roar of the money-counting!"


Bush is a dumb shit. As long as the Arab countries are on the welfare of getting $127 for something that costs fifteen or twenty bucks a barrel to pump out of the ground, they don't have to do jack shit. They don't have to liberate women to be economically competetive, they don't have to develop industries, expand education or infrastructure, or have any kind of social evolution at all. And those fundamentalist, reactionary theocrats over in Saudi Arabia won't do anything until the oil dries up.

[sellitman]

13. You speak the truth.

It's ugly but so very true.

[JCMach1]

29. about the KSA, yes

People should remember that the 'Arab World' is very loose term.

[FarCenter]

16. If the Middle East adopted democracy, the winning parties would have three planks:

- Destroy Israel

- Raise the price of oil

- Boot out all non-Muslims

[ohio2007]

18. Starting with the revoking of citizenship

Non-Muslims To Lose Citizenship Under New Constitution
By Judith Evans in Malé
May 18, 2008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Information minister Mohamed Nasheed has admitted on his personal blog that Maldivians who convert away from Islam, or who are children of Maldivians married to non-Muslims, risk losing their citizenship of the country under the constitution in progress.

The issue is believed to have been raised with government by international diplomats visiting Maldives during the development of the constitution.


snip
presidential candidates were reluctant to adopt a position on the issue ahead of the country’s first multi-party presidential elections, expected once the constitution comes into force.

Former attorney general Dr Hassan Saeed, now standing as an independent candidate, said the issue was of “very little relevance” as “we do not have a non-Muslim population”.

Mohamed Nasheed (Anni), contesting on the largest opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ticket, said the MDP “can’t have a position outside the constitution”.

However another candidate, Umar Naseer of the Islamic Democratic Party (IDP), said to local newspaper Miadhu: “In my government there would be no chance any other religion.”

And Sheikh Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari, head of the religious Adhaalath party scholars’ council, told Minivan News in a May 13 interview he personally supported the tightening of citizenship regulation.
snip
http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=4484
oh, it's already underway but luckily,
the Arab world would never adopt that form of democracy....

/sarc ;)

[matt007]

27. Exactly

Democracy there elects Hamas, Hezbollah, Shiite Religious bloc in Iraq, Its just a shit situation.

[ohio2007]

32. Thast the democracy theywant to spread to the west

as they wish we would accept them as fundie rulers over time.....

[ProgressiveMuslim]

35. Have you been watching Rev. Hagee again? nt

[bluesmail]

17. uh, whaat?

:wow: and :crazy:

[MilesColtrane]

19. Hey, Bush himself can give the people of the Middle East more freedom.

He's got plenty he stole from us in his back pocket.

[pinerow]

20. Time for the

broken clock analogy...sheesh!!

[santamargarita]

21. Just Don't Follow Bush's Example!

UGH!

[ananda]

22. This is rich coming from an unelected dicator wannabe who has..

.. singlehandedly deprived Americans of rights
and who operates outside the rule of law and
the Constitution.

[swilton]

23. BUSH IS A RONALD REGAN WANNABE

The problem with his foreign policy is he is trying to make
the Middle East analogous to Central/Eastern Europe.  In his
administration's view, Bush's bringing freedom to the Arab
world will be likened to Ronald Reagan's administration being
credited for the fall of the Soviet Union.

[sakabatou]

24. My irony meter exploded

[NewHampshireDem]

28. Arab World to Bush: You first.

[JCMach1]

30. Exactly... How many did the U.S. have under the British Monarchy

It is barely a generation since most Arab countries gained independence.

Some, like Egypt and Iran have been independent longer. However, most are countries born of the mid 20th-century.

Since that time, most have moved from backwards tribal culture to their current status (honestly, depends on the country).

How many of you know that the UAE held election last year? That the finance minister and other cabinet officials are women...?

The region is changing very fast compared to where it was...

And, like the US in the 20th century they will have great oil wealth to build an economy with.

Unfortunately, very few countries are doing that right... :(

Just examine KSA, Nigeria, Iraq, etc. to follow bad examples of what happens with oil money. Only a handful of states Norway, Venezuela, and UAE have managed to improve the lot of their country in any kind of manageable way.

[trof]

31. 'opposition in jail'? Like...um...DON SIEGELMAN, maybe?

:rofl:

[jmowreader]

33. If you gave Bush a propeller beanie he'd lift off the ground, bless his heart

Let me see...Bush belongs to a party that throws the opposition in jail every chance it gets, and his best buddy in that area is routinely rated the third-worst or fourth-worst dictator in the world by the conservative Parade Magazine.

Yup, yup, yup...whether his highest purpose is as the motor on an oil rig or as a helicopter engine I don't know, but the fucker spins so fast they're giving him a tachometer for his birthday.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

34. WORLD TO BUSH: Stop propping up hegemonic dictators who refuse to allow a democratic process! nt

[LynnTheDem]

36. Thanks George., for once again showing your total arrogant stupidity and fanning

the flames.

It's difficult to believe anyone can be so stupid accidentally.

[AlphaCentauri]

40. Give citizens more freedoms or Give us your oil

it's your choice

:think:

[Supersedeas]

42. and that is an order: democracy at gunpoint