U.S. Doesn't Care About Democracy (in case you were wondering)

This article from the Associated Press tells ye all that ye need to know.

Bangladesh's government has gone on a witch hunt, arresting at least 10,000 civilians on dubious charges. Human rights activists internationally have condemned this act, calling it a "crackdown on democracy". And the U.S. government? Its voice has remained "low key".

"In contrast to its loud and repeated criticism of the governments of Myanmar and Zimbabwe, which the United States believes are subverting democracy, the Bush administration says little about a makeshift government in Bangladesh that has curtailed citizens' democratic rights since taking power in January 2007." (AP, 14 June 2008)

Richard Boucher, U.S. assistant secretary for South Asia, said that his country "needs to understand [the situation] a little better". That's odd. No one needs to "understand the situation" in Zimbabwe before condemning Mugabe as a criminal despot, which he is. No one needs to understand China's situation in Tibet before blanket condemnation of a "military crackdown" is issued.

The best response was that of Sean McCormack, spokesman for the State Department. When asked if the U.S. had any comment whatsoever on the Bangladeshi government's crackdown, he replied, "No," and said nothing else.

"As long as Bangladesh's government is doing the things the U.S. wants it to do, 'I don't think (the U.S.) is going to be terribly upset about other issues,' said Christine Fair, a South Asia specialist at the RAND Corp." (AP, 14 June 2008)

In other words, we don't care about democracy. That is, we only care about democracy when it gives us an excuse to invade your country, to commit war crimes, to murder children sleeping in their cribs, to carry out premeditated plans to rape 12-year-old girls and then shoot their witness families.

Otherwise, we don't give two shits about democracy in those ass-backward camel-fucking nations.


link to AP article by Foster Klug: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080614/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_bangladesh