Bush´s ´democracy´
Barry Stoller - 25.06.2002 08:44
So.
´"Peace requires a new and different Palestinian leader so that a Palestinian state can be born," Bush declared´ in tonight´s speech (AP, 24 June 2002, ´Bush Mideast Policy Sets Tough Conditions Palestinians May Be Unable to Meet´).
Not surprising, ´Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon´s office endorsed Bush´s approach, saying in a statement that "when the Palestinian Authority undergoes genuine reforms and a new leadership takes its place at its head ... it will be possible to discuss ways of moving forward by diplomatic means"´ (ibid.).
This whole approach has been in the works for a little while. As usual, Sharon leaked it in advance...
´Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has urged the United States and other nations to appoint an interim Palestinian government... established even against the Palestinians´ wishes, the Yediot Ahronot daily reported Thursday.
´"The free world must force this government on the Palestinians," the daily quoted him as saying´ (AP, 16 May 2002, Sharon: the International Community Must Appoint Interim Palestinian Government).
Let´s take a closer look at this example of ´forced´ democracy...
´Dozens of angry delegates walked out of Afghanistan´s grand assembly on Wednesday, saying they were not being consulted, as... [t]he Loya Jirga, a traditional Afghan parliament, is expected to vote later on a new president with Hamid Karzai, interim leader and favorite of the United States, the sole candidate´ (Reuters, 12 June 2002, ´Afghan Delegates Walk Out in Protest Over Vote´).
The ´sole candidate,´ take note.
Then...
´Afghan President Hamid Karzai, facing a grand council that made little progress in choosing the country´s government, said Monday he will select his own Cabinet and that time had run out for delegates to choose a new parliament´ (AP, 17 June 2002, Afghan leader says he will appoint own Cabinet because loya jirga missed deadline).
Funny, the US considers this sort of thing a real no-no in Cuba...
Not in other places, though. Anyone remember Guatemala, 1954? Chile, 1973? Nicaragua in the ´80s?
Here´s the deal. Democracy doesn´t exist.
Oh, sure, there´s a spot of it here and maybe there, just like in good old Rome -- but it´s always smaller than the whole sum of people involved in materially creating it.
We´ve got democracy for the manor but not for the field hands.
Democracy, meaning here the ideological facade in front of a particular system of production relations, is always opposed to actually letting its enemies get a vote, too; hell, this sort of truly inclusive democracy just might vote itself (meaning that particular system of production relations) right out of existence.
So we get these puppet ´democracies´ all over the place. Latin America, South Pacific, Africa, you name it, like big fat ugly mushrooms on a rainy day.
Will this happen to the Palestinians, as well?
Personally, I doubt it. They seem to have a bit more spine than other oppressed people preceding them in the struggle against colonialism.
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