Saturday, September 30, 2006

Imposing Democracy

I heard many commentators on the radio agree with George Bush, that they think Democracy is a solution for the 'terrorist' problem. They think George Bush got the problem right but he just got the strategy wrong.

I am here to challenge George Bush's ideas. Don't follow him like sheeps. Congress followed him like sheeps and we have Iraq War. Congress followed him like sheeps and we have this Military Tribunals, where it's for George Bush to determine what is torture, and detainees have no opportunity to challenge George Bush's decision.

George Bush is the president or commander-in-chief, although that can be challenged in certain circles, who are still hung up on Gore vs Bush election. In this, it just means he was given the opportunity to play that role. With a track record with George Bush's decision, which I think is poor, Congress failed to thwart his power to do damage. On the contrary, Congress is giving him more power to do damage. America may win this 'war', which I seriously doubt if it is fought in this way, but America plays 'dirty', and it will gain no respect from the world, and worse, it may make situation worse for future generations, the opposite of what George Bush intends.

Now, I don't think George Bush is a 'bad' person. I think that he truly cares and he does have a vision for a better world and he is 'fighting' to realize that world. He is raised up in America, a powerful and wealthy nation, where many of the past solutions have been solved by 'force' or by 'money', both of which America has plenty to use, to get what America wants.

Democracy may or may not be good for Iraq. It's an experiment of ideas of how to govern a country. If Iraqis internally decide it's democracy that they want to experiment with, that's fine. But America should not impose democracy on Iraqis, or to any other country. It's up to the country to decide which form of government they want to experiment with.

What America should do is remind other leaders that as leaders, they should do their best to care for the welfare of their people, after all, that is the role of leader. However, George Bush cannot say this because George Bush doesn't do a good job of fulfilling this task as a leader.

In the eyes of the world, George Bush has little credibility left. Only in the eyes of Congress does he seems to be 'credible'. The White House had demonstrated its blindness. Congress has just now demonstrated its blindness. Both of them devise a strategy to tie the hands of the Court. They want to 'win' at all costs.

If there is townhall meeting with your leaders in your community, you should attend them. You should confront your leaders with these issues, and keep an eye on them. They suppose to represent you. This is a democracy. However, democracy only works if its citizens participate in it. In fact, I am going to one, now. :)

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Chavez refers to Bush as the 'Devil'

Remember when Bush label three countries as the 'Axis of Evil'?

What goes around comes around.

Now Bush has the opportunity to experience what it is like to be labeled as such.

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Geneva Conventions on Prisoners of War

President Bush has complained that the Geneva Convention is not clear.

I checked the Geneva Conventions to see what it says. On Article 3, these are the actions that are prohibited:

1) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture.

2) Taking hostages

3) Outages upon person dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment.

4) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous treatment pronounced by a regularly constituted force affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable to civilized people.

Well, from the Abu Graib situation, we already know the United States is in violation of condition 3 of Geneva Conventions. The administration try to get its way out by saying that Geneva Conventions do not apply to these people ... because they are 'terrorists' and 'stateless' and so on.

I had some hope when the three Republicans stand up to the President, but now, I have lost hope, both in the Administration and in the Congress. It's not a balance of power, but rather watch its other's back. What's worse, the detainees don't have access to the court now, the last path to redress any injustice that is faced upon them.

It's like the president is asking ... how much I can hurt them and get away with it, and now Congress is condoning this action. This is sickening.

We, as human beings, must look out for the welfare of other human beings. This president may talk about 'peace' and 'democracy', and so on, but he is not practicing it. Compare United Nation Annan's tone versus United States Bush's tone. Annan's tone is a peaceful tone, a man of peace, and he has an increased chance of bringing peace. Contrast that with Bush's tone, he incites anger, and he decreases the chance for us to come to peace.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Al Qaeda Video

I personally have not observed the Al Qaeda video, but I basically get the message. Any group that imposes their will on other people is not a group that follow God's way. For God gives us the freedom to choose.

I think the message will probably anger Americans and strengthen their resolve to fight.

But let me say this ...

The spirit of Christ is in each of you
And with it is the ability to heal
Let that spirit flows out now
As you touch people, heal them
Let that spirit flows out to the universe
Heal the universe
Have faith in yourself
Love is that healing energy

You can choose to live in fear
You can choose to live in anger
Or you can choose to live with love
And heal those around you

May you choose the latter choice
And experience the power within you

For those who are on the battlefields
I feel sad that our leaders cannot find a peaceful way to get out of this
You must respond to the situations around you
Nobody can make judgment on you
May you come home in one piece
May you heal over your wartime trauma quickly

Friday, September 01, 2006

Terrorists are Communists and Fascists now?

Another outburst from George Bush. When he describes about Fascism, I thought he was talking about his administration. And if his prediction is correct, this administration would not fare very well down in history ... along with 'us' Americans, feeling helpless to do anything about it.

If we don't fight 'military', does this mean cut and run? Does this mean 'appeasement'? I'd like to hear the version from the Democrats, because I don't think they are very clear about what they ought to do. Is that all this administration can come up with as problem resolution?

How about creating peace in a violent situation? It is not appeasement. It is not retreat. It requires active engagement. It requires active listening. It requires opening your heart. I remember Thich Nhat Hanh offered to speak with these groups. But are you willing to be fair and just? Are you willing to forgive? Or are you after winning all the time?

How about turning a new chapter for our kids? How about teaching our young kids to create peace in a violent situation? This is a good opportunity for this. Believe me, every one wants peace. If they fight, it's because they feel they have to fight. They have a cause to fight just as you have a cause to fight. In that, we all have something in common. Listen to them. Listen to their pain.

America should lead because America has perhaps the biggest arsenal of weapons available. America has accused others as 'axis of evil'. America feel justified in its pre-emptive war. America has invaded another country unilaterally. The Abu Graib torture of prisoners depicts us as a country with poor morality and without conscience. With George Bush lack of desire to talk to the other side, and insist on continuing the fight on other foreign soils, America is the greatest threat to the world.

But it can be different.