January 21, 2005
THEY'VE SERVED THEIR PURPOSES:
Putting Democracy First May Test Key Relationships (Doyle McManus, January 21, 2005, LA Times)
For more than a century, presidents have wrestled with the recurring conflict between America's democratic ideals and its real-world interests — interests that sometimes led the U.S. into alliances with unpalatable dictators.In his inaugural address Thursday, President Bush boldly declared that debate over.
From now on, he said, the principal goal of the United States must be to promote democracy everywhere in the world, even where that may mean instability in the short run.
"America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one," Bush said. "It is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world."
If Bush carries through on that pledge, it will be a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, which has often oscillated between promoting democracy and defending narrower military and economic interests.
But making that change may not be easy. Will he press hard on China, a major trading partner; or Saudi Arabia, the source of 20% of the nation's imported oil; or Pakistan, a key ally in the hunt for terrorist leader Osama bin Laden?
Why isn't it easy? For one thing none of these are important allies--just allies of convenience. But, additionally, he Sa'uds are already holding local elections; Pakistan is making peace with India and has done much to clean out the region along the Afghan border; and China has been coddled for economic reasons but must reform politrically for those same reasons.
MORE:
The peasant Tiananmen time bomb: Over the centuries China has been devastated by peasant revolts, and today's leaders, like past emperors, are obsessed with the need for stability. They fear that the enormous wealth gap, rural poverty, restive migrants and pervasive party corruption could explode. (Pepe Escobar, 1/22/05, Asia Times)