When it comes to promoting democracy, the Bush administration's message is now about as clear as a polluted wetland in a Houston suburb. The point is made in a provocative headline in today's Guardian: "Suicide bombings in Uzbekistan may have saved its US aid package."
The upshot of the latest insanity is that the Bush White House will probably fund Uzbekistan's oppressive government as long as they face suicide bombers. The terrible ironic punch line: the Uzbekistan government may have suicide bombers to thank for continuing US aid and support.
More evidence that the cold war mentality of the Bush administration outlined by Clarke -- clumsily grafted onto the war on terror -- is making the world a more dangerous place. At the same time, it's becoming a less democratic place, which, in turn, also makes it more dangerous.
The contradictions are sickening. On the one hand, with Iraq, Team Bush sends the message that it will pursue first-strike interventions not based on any proven threat, but supposedly to promote democracy and human rights. On the other hand, Team Bush supports any state that does away with human rights and democracy as long as they face a threat from suicide bombers.
Confused? How do you think a developing nation will feel? Should they import their own suicide bombers in the hope of US aid? Or just oppress their population until some sort of native rebellion emerges?
As in Iraq, this administration is setting back the causes of democracy and human rights by many, many years. Not to mention failing miserably in the war on terrorism.
Where is Uzbekistan, anyway? Probably no more than 1 in 100 Americans could find it on a map. But it's one more reason why we need to let Bush go in November.
Links to a map of Uzbekistan, and the Guardian article by Nick Paton Walsh:
http://www.advantour.com/uzbekistan/information/map.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1182214,00.html