|
Is Condoleezza Rice vying for the title of "most ironic" among Bush Administration apparatchiks?
Yesterday, on a trip to Moscow, according to the New York Times, she lectured the Russians about protecting press freedoms,
using restraint to ease military tensions with rival nations, and curbing government abuse of foreigners.
Yes, you read correctly. Among Condi's declarations to the Kremlin:
- Press freedom in Russia is "a major concern" of the Bush Administration. "There is still an independent print press," she
said. "Unfortunately, there is not much left of independent television in Russia." No question, the contemporary U.S. is in
the bush leagues (sorry) of press repression in comparison with the brazenly brutal traditions of Russia and its current head
enforcer, former KGB man Putin. But are we to believe that press freedoms are a cherished value in a current American regime
that has bullied and threatened ("people should watch what they say") the press, planted fake reporters in press conferences,
distributed fake news videos to TV stations, and lied to and sabotaged the press more than any Administration in recent memory?
And by what cosmic joke does Condi Rice presume to preach to others on these matters?
- The Russians need to show moderation to reduce dangerous tensions with Georgia, which recently detained four Russian soldiers
on suspicion of spying. This bit of advice comes from the same Condi who publicly backed Israel as it killed 1,000 Lebanese
civilians on the pretext of the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers. It also reminds us of Rice's stance as apologist for a
recklessly unnecessary war in Iraq, insane threats against Iran, and abysmally counter-productive sword-rattling against North
Korea, with whom the U.S. still, incredibly, refuses to talk directly. (Rice is now in the embarrassing public position of
having to respond to what-the-Chinese-claim-the-North-Koreans-said-about-nukes, since the U.S. has sliced itself cleanly out
of this crucial loop.)
- Russia needs to reverse its government's recent crackdown on foreign NGOs (some of which are critical of the Kremlin) because
this is an abusive stifling of these organizations' rights. Uh, hello? Are we hearing this from a spokesperson for an American
regime that has just won new powers to secretly detain and abuse any foreigner without trial, and has run a global network
of secret prisons, and has grabbed foreigners at airports and "rendered" them to other nations to be tortured, and has used
the Internal Revenue Service as a political hammer to punish (via sudden audits) legally-functioning organizations it dislikes?
Maybe we've sold Condi short in the prank department. Maybe we missed the hint when she chose to go shoe shopping at the peak
of the Katrina disaster. Perhaps her perpetually-pinched facial countenance hides a sick sense of humor we never knew about.
Or maybe she's just testing to see if we're paying attention.
(Posted 10/22/06)
© 2006 Bruce A. Jacobs
|
