Democracy Hypocrisy: Bush Praises Saudi Arabia’s New King
By on Aug 2nd, 2005 at 2:37 pm
Democracy Hypocrisy: Bush Praises Saudi Arabia’s New King
President Bush, 6/14/05:
The best way to secure this country in the long run, though, is to spread democracy and freedom. We believe everybody deserves to be free. We believe everybody has a deep desire in their heart to live in a free society.
President Bush, 8/2/05:
On behalf of the United States, I congratulate my friend, King Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud, on assuming the Saudi throne and the position of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. We wish Saudi Arabia peace and prosperity under his leadership. I have spoken today to the new King, and the United States looks forward to continuing the close partnership between our two countries.
If Bush is for democracy everywhere, why does he hope Saudi Arabia prospers under a monarchy?
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Because thanks to the Bush family, we are now, and have been for quite some time, the United American States of Saud.
August 2nd, 2005 at 2:45 pm“We believe everybody deserves to be free. We believe everybody has a deep desire in their heart to live in a free society.” Except for gays!
August 2nd, 2005 at 2:47 pmit’s not just saudi arabia that has a king who is america’s friend. what about the oldest british kingdom, whose prime minister is the only american ally in bush’s war in iraq? or the dethroned shah of iran?
August 2nd, 2005 at 2:50 pmwhy can’ the americans, hawkish or otherwise, stop pretending that there is democracy here, or in england?
You know we are in a totally commited relationship with the Saudi’s. If only the USA, er the Bush Administration, could marry Saudi Arabia… I wonder if nation-weddings are legal in Saudi Arabia?
August 2nd, 2005 at 2:53 pmBush hopes Saudi Arabia prospers because he supports freedom!
(Yes, this was sarcasm)
I’m gonna guess its probably because Bush couldn’t care less about democracy, unless it somehow gets him and his buddies more money.
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:01 pmThe Bush theory is simple:
Pro-U.S. non-democracy – good (Saudi, Pakistan etc)
anti-U.S. democracy – bad (Venezuela – Chavez was elected in ‘98, and won a 2004 referendum with 59% of votes confirmed by international observers)
So really the democracy vs non-democracy doesn’t count. If you’re pro-U.S., you’re good. If you’re Venezuela-esque, you’re evil.
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:09 pmLet me correct that – not really pro-U.S vs anti-U.S, but more like pro-”letting in private oil giants” vs. anti-”letting in private oil giants”.
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:12 pmTo be fair, I don’t see that wishing someone the best necessarily means that you agree with their policies. I wish the USA peace and prosperity, though I definitely don’t agree with its current leadership.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that Bush isn’t an utter hypocrite when it comes to supporting real democracy; one need look no farther than Florida and Ohio to confirm that.
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:14 pmIf I’m not mistaken, any repressive monarchy or CIA-installed dictatorship that supports US foreign police technically qualifies as an “honorary democracy.”
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:14 pmBush is only interested into Bush.
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:19 pmThe Bush clan and the Saudis are old family friends.
When George to praises the Saudi’s new king it would be like me praising my uncle.
Oh, hurry 2008.’!
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:30 pmDemocracy Schemocracy! What do you think Bush cares about? OIL, OIL, OIL. He went to war for it! He and the Bush groupd (Carlyle) are so in bed with the Saudis!
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:32 pmBy the way the number is over 1800 dead now in his war, not counting the many who died in the hospital later, or the maimed for life. Did you also know that he cut benefits for veterans again? If you earn more than $25000/year you must pay something for your health needs; so much for respecting our troops.
He is disgusting.
maybe bush should travel there to hold hands with the new king.
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:35 pmFrom one King to another.
Can you be a King and the court jester at the same time?
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:36 pmApparently, yes.
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:40 pmIf Bush goes as our King, he’d meet his counterpart on those vast oil-hiding sands of the Middle East. But if Rove goes as Queen, who from the Saudi Royals would greet him as equal?
Just curious. Nothing to see here. Moving along. Not!
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:43 pmLiberals are so hypocritical. You don’t want to allow any new oil drilling on U.S. soil but you don’t want us to import any oil either. At the same time you have no problem driving SUVs. I don’t understand what you would like Bush to do. I would like to see development of a hydrogen car myself. That way, we could really hurt the terrorists where it counts, in their pocketbooks!
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:57 pmLast time I checked many liberals were pushing for alternate fuels for vehicles. The push to maintain using fossil fuels has primarily come from the conservatives and the bush admin.
not very conservative is it?
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:59 pmBush already said he’d prefer a dictatorship as long as he was the dictator – so it’s clear democracy is only a schill he uses to garner public opinion for his business policies…
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:03 pmThe whole point of the Iraq war was to drive oil down to 6 bucks a barrel, because we in the West have “the right” to that oil. Now that that country’s oil industry isn’t going to be back up to full speed any time soon, oil is 60 and climbing.
No wonder Bush is therefore against democracy in Arabia. If the insurgents take over Arabia or worse still (God forbid in Bush’s book!) they actually had a responsive government, they’d set a fair price for themselves … which would be, say 100 bucks a barrel.
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:05 pmPlus, the way they want to get hydrogen:
1) takes more energy to make than is released by it’s use in a fuel cell &
2) is by stripping hydrocarbons of their hydrogen atoms – ie they want to use oil as the source.
Give me a battery operated car that will go 500 miles, then you’re talking.
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:05 pmI am thinking bio-desiel, and we can produce all we need right here in the USA.
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:07 pmLast I checked, liberals were the only ones pushing for higher fuel economy standards, and conservatives are dead-set against it.
Did something change in the past five minutes, always right? If your conservative leaders want to introduce a bill for higher fuel economy in cars, I’ll tell my liberal Senators to support it.
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:07 pmThis is a funny word…. de..mo..cra.cy has opposite meanings to different peo…ple. I l l o g i c a l
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:08 pmWe’ll see $3/gal gas next year. Then we’ll see who suffers more. Saudi Arabia or the red state SUV drivers.
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:08 pmWe don’t produce enough bio-desiel for more than a token few cars.
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:09 pmwe could produce more Hippy
=)
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:11 pmBushco. and the oil industry are colluding to drive up oil prices in the latest energy scam that dwarfs all others that have gone before. NO BS.
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:18 pmParticularly a monarchy which finances terrorism and furnished terrorists Bin Laden and most of the 9/11 hijackers?
It is because there are close financial ties between the Bushes and the Saudis. According to various sources (Google: Bush Saudi), Bush has been awash in Saudi money for years. Journalist/author Craig Unger in his new book “House of Bush, House of Saud” traced millions “in investments and contracts that went from the Saudis over the past 20 years to companies in which the Bushes and their allies have had prominent positions – Harken Energy, Halliburton, and the Carlyle Group among them.” According to the Boston Herald, that includes a $1 million gift from Prince Bandar to the Bush Presidential Library in Texas.
Did we get higher gas mileage standards under Clinton? I don’t think so.
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:23 pmkindness,
Hydrogen for Fuel Cells can be produced entirely without hydrocarbons – but that’s not what that CONservative whackos intend to do. They envision using COAL to power hydrogen cars, instead of using Solar, Wind and other ‘clean’ power sources to simply extract hydrogen from water… It’s just lunacy and stupid planning from the inept morons who brought the world yet another fossil fuels crisis because of their incredibly short sighted and irresponsible mismanagement!
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:27 pmI’m liberal. I own 2 SUV’s. Always right makes a good point (but I also own a VW I try to drive when I can).
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:27 pmin that case Brian don’t ask for sympathy when conservative market forces drive up the price of gas and drive down the value of your SUVs.
Oil funds terrorism. Period.
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:35 pmWho knows Bandar Bush may someday be King and then our two countries could be merged into the United States of Arabia and America. We would then become the good old USAA, and just add a white sword in the background of the stars and stripes for our new national flag.
August 2nd, 2005 at 5:04 pmInstead of Farmers getting subsidies to NOT grow corn, soy, etc, we could have them grow crops for ethynol, bio-diesel, etc.
Hell, one guy adapted his car to run on filtered fryer oil from fast food chains! The exhaust was minimal, but smelled like french/freedom fries and chicken nuggets.
August 2nd, 2005 at 6:06 pmSkid,
How about giving folks like ‘changing world technologies’, which converts farming waste into crude oil the same kind of subsidies and breaks that ‘traditional’ oil companies get. The waste isn’t fossilized carbon, it’s already in the current carbon cycle (no new pollution in effect) and it would go a long way to solving foreign oil dependency. These guys complain about how they are mistreated by the government which slants the subsidies to their texas cronies instead of actually solving the issue through existing scientific innovations that just need equal government support!
August 2nd, 2005 at 6:13 pmLiberals can’t drive SUVs. It says so in my conservative handbook. Your dhimmitude is non-compatible with the power of the vehicle and if it ain’t got big old mud flaps it’s just a soccer mom’s car.
August 2nd, 2005 at 6:42 pmThere will be no relief from the thievery in this country by the large corporations until there are political campaign funding restrictions put on all political candidates. Todays candidates are bought and paid for, albeit in the reverse order, by businesses (PACs). There is no honest sane man that would spend $5,000,000 of his own money for a two, four, or six year job that pays $200,000.00 per year. The campaign contributors are paying for a license to steal from your pocket and mine. There will be no alternate to the max 20 mpg automobile so long as the oil companies and the auto companies own the politicians. DUHbys wasn’t elected for his looks, his “Christian” finger, or his great personal love for Democracy and the United States. DUHbya was elected because he is a dumb crook and stooge for his Daddy and Cheney. He was elected because enough money was paid to buy the votes–either from those voting or those counting them. The only answer is to impeach the lot of them and start over with some reasonably honest new crooks.
August 2nd, 2005 at 6:44 pmFasicismBringsIgnorance,
The issue isn’t SUVs, it’s SUVs that get 12MPGs used to go to the grocery store by people who obviously don’t need this. It’s the fact that with minimal changes that SUV could get 25 MPGs. It’s the average american living in a home 2x the square footage of the home they grew up in (1500SQft vs 3000SQft). It’s the fact that the government invests crap loads of money in roads, yet is uber stingy on public transit. It’s about the subtleties and ambiguities that sociopathic whack jobs like you never get…
August 2nd, 2005 at 7:18 pmThe Bush’s have always been closet royalists.
August 3rd, 2005 at 1:26 amI think the tax break for buying an SUV was a setup.
August 3rd, 2005 at 9:43 am4,000 princes,personal brothels, woman and children held as sex slaves, $500,000 + unbelievalble benefits per prince/year, torture, public executions, women without any rights, religeon/government, no elections, subjugated public, completely bought off press, sounds like a Bush democracy to me.
August 3rd, 2005 at 10:35 amBio deisel is COMMON here in the East Bay! And usually made from recycled restaurant vegetable oil (no shortage of that with all the McDs!). There is a BD filling station, plus you can put your own refinery in your back yard if you want – schlepping the oil is the hard part. I plan to convert my deisel to BD ASAP, it will definitely smell better! It costs about $500 for the conversion.
August 3rd, 2005 at 11:22 amSo it is not impossible to think we have an alternative fuel.
I have heard that there are limits on how many deisel cars can be sold in the US now – is this an end-run around our need for alternative tech?
Traditional desiels produce soot, that’s why there’s a limit. Bio-desiel is a new development. And yes, they are common… sort of.. where you live (common relative to hydrogen cars), but there’s a limit to how much fry grease even we Americans can produce.
August 3rd, 2005 at 1:32 pmThe key to deciphering such language from this administration is that “freedom” and “democracy” mean something entirely different. Simply substitute “unregulated, open markets” for “Freedom” or “Democracy” and then it will all make perfect sense. These Republicans don’t mean what they say. Freedom, Democracy, etc. are worthless code words for what they really want, cheap labor and unregulated markets in which to do business and make fortunes.
August 3rd, 2005 at 5:34 pmcynical ex-hippie,
That’s true about the fry grease – but that’s not the only way to produce bio-diesel. You can also create it from garbage, sewage and agricultural waste.
http://www.changingworldtech.com/
August 3rd, 2005 at 6:18 pmYes, a very good point indeed! We are in Iraq promoting freedom because that is what this war is all about yet in Saudi Arabia they are still ruled by a king and the people there are still oppressed, much more than they are in Iraq. Why do we focus on Iraq and look away from what is happening in S.A.???
Well, Bush just LOVES the Saudis and it is one of those blind loves (the kind he wishes we had for our country). The Saudis can do no wrong in his eyes.
August 24th, 2005 at 12:11 amFriends can’t make friends promote freedom! That’s just wrong!
‘Everybody has a deep desire in their heart to live in a free society.’ REALLY?! Did you go question them all? I suppose not but as a president and all, one could assume.
September 9th, 2005 at 7:43 amFrom my side I assume that both statements are utterly nonesenseless collections of words the president don’t necessary understand but in a second scenario the government benefit financially, as it did for years and will do for years to come.
Never have I been so dismayed at my country. Bush has the worse record of any american president(I even hesitate to use that word infron of his name). He seems determined to ruin not only the USA but the rest of the world too. His and his families ties to the Saudi’s show just whose important to them. Each day his ignorance shows. What’s really scarey is the number of people who defend his actions and continue to reap the benifits of his systematic ruining of the USA.
September 14th, 2005 at 10:52 amMonarchy and democracy are not necessarily at odds with each other. The problem with Saudi Arabia is that it is a theocratic dictatorship.
October 26th, 2005 at 3:28 pm[...] A blast from the past. [...]
November 14th, 2005 at 8:06 pmIf ypu wanna know what the Bush family and hiits friends are really up to look at sites like http://www.rense.com and http://www.cloak and dagger.de
I am Dutch and my minister president JP Balkenende ( Harry Potter ) is in to the Bush-game aswell as Angela Merkel from Germany, Blair from the UK, Berlusconi from Italy and many more. Enslaving all people just for the benefit of themselfes. It is to much to write down here but read and wheep on the given sites and you will become aware. One thing, don’t get angry with them, no, think of them as little children doing wrong things, impeache but don’t get angry!
In love for all people
November 15th, 2005 at 9:10 amYour FREEDOM BUBBLE THAT YOU HAVE AROUND YOU?
November 17th, 2005 at 7:57 pmITS ABOUT TO POP!!!!!
——————————————————————————–
REVELATION CHAPTER 18
——————————————————————————–
November 17th, 2005 at 7:58 pm1 ¶ And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 ¶ And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
MISSY FREEDOM
November 17th, 2005 at 7:59 pmHello, everyone.
I consider myself a moderate liberal who tries to be as objective as I can regarding politics, which is why the above article, or, more specifically, the opinions it voices, are somewhat disturbing in my opinion.
While I certainly don’t agree with either the Saudi or the current American admins, that doesn’t mean we should condemn what is nothing other than a necessary gesture between countries that share a certain relationship.
For objectivity’s sake, I must also add that many liberal and Democrat administrations have also congratulated, commended, apologized, or expressed their goodwill towards Saudis, or, for that matter, Soviets, Cubans, Chavists, and many other “bad” regimes, not because America is “sanctioning” their deed, but because:
A) It is an almost necessary gesture between friendly countries, and unfriendly countries usually go to war with us, which is generally not good, even if we win.
B) The friendliness towards a country is not a matter of the “goodness” or “badness” of its regime, but of whether they should be our friends -and therefore may help us in an hour of need, and viceversa- or not.
C) Countries, like people, are one anothers’ equals. When one country feels like passing judgement on another country’s doings, you get conflict. Conflict, as a general rule, is not good. If a country’s regime is “bad”, that’s what international courts, which we’ve invested with supranational powers, are for.
D) As the Bush administration should have learned, you DON’T create conflict between a country and yourself, much less go to war, just because you dislike the way that country’s run. I, too, would not like my 17 year old sister to be married for several years now to a “womanbeating Arab” (and I sincerely apologize if anyone was offended by this gross generalization), but most of the Arab women who live under those conditions are apparently happy. (NOTE: I didn’t write the article; not all the opinions it voices are my own.)
Anyway, my point is that expressing our goodwill towards another country, and yes, even another country’s government, and yes, even another country’s “bad” government, is generally a good sign.
December 6th, 2005 at 12:24 pmWhen we express our goodwill towards a government, we are expressing our goodwill to the people who, either by votes OR BY FORCE in non-democratic countries, have put them into place.
Furthermore, just like we are innocent until proven guilty, a government shouldn’t be judged as inherently “good” or “bad” without the preexistence of an international ruling that gives us the certainty of its “badness”.
Rather, governments should be judged by their “effectivity”, that is, their capability to uphold the law, maintain order, and ensure “legal security”(the knowledge of those rights that the State acknowledges us to have) and “legal certainty”(the tranquility that comes from knowing that, if those rights are violated, the State may intervene to enforce them by any means necessary.)
Wrongful governments should be judged only by the competent supranational authorities, which should also (and that is the failure of the current system) have the power to “commandeer” the necessary resources from other Nation-States to execute those judgements.
Dear Readers,
Do you want that Palestine will be free?
If your answer is yes, I recommend you the following home page:
http://www.alah.hu
“This image shows the future. A minaret-form skyscraper rises from the
mass of the buildings in New York, the most densely populated city of the
United States. The building is the “Tower of American-Islamic Friendship”.
It symbolizes two things: on one hand there are a growing number of Moslem
people in the U.S.; and on the other hand it shows that the U.S. is in
alliance with the Islamic countries. Due to the new friendship America
does not provide any more financial or military aid to Israel, which leads
to the weakening of Israel and consequently, the freedom of Palestine.”
Sincerely,
December 17th, 2005 at 12:06 pmZoltan Biro