A Democracy Survives, Stronger for Generations

It appears the process of democratic revival that started after the 2006 congressional elections is now on its last victory lap.

Justices Rule Terror Suspects Can Appeal in Civilian Courts - NYTimes.com

WASHINGTON — Foreign terrorism suspects held at the Guantánamo Bay naval base in Cuba have constitutional rights to challenge their detention there in United States courts, the Supreme Court ruled, 5 to 4, on Thursday in a historic decision on the balance between personal liberties and national security.

"It's been said that democracy in America has been 'a series of narrow escapes.' Whew, that was a close one." Nina, Wisconsin

“The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the court.

It wouldn't surprise me that the inexorable shift in public sentiments helped stir the conscience of the odd judge or two who would otherwise have ruled in allegiance to their political masters. Or perhaps it was the realization that a new dispensation might assume those executive powers they are so loathe to check. Still, four judges continue to consider themselves and their institution unworthy of the right to review the executive powers.

US Shows World's Despots a Way to Legalize Torture

The story says it all. David Hicks gagged before vote | The Daily Telegraph

As part of his agreement which was signed before he appeared in the US military commission on Tuesday he has agreed that he was never illegally treated by any person while in US custody. It means Hicks can no longer claim he was mistreated by the US after he was captured in December 2001 in Afghanistan and taken to Guantanamo Bay.

Just as the US democracy was showing revival signs with the Democratic congress reinstating constitutional checks and balances to hold the Executive accountable for its muzzling of federal prosecutors and widespread espionage on US citizen bypassing the FISA, we now have this. While American taxpayers' money continues to be used to kill tens of thousands of innocent people in a war that has cost more American lives than in 9/11, we have the military courts preside over this way out as Gitmo's closure and consequent release of hundreds held without a trial or charges becomes imminent.

Iraq, Afghanistan setbacks and occupiers of other people's lands

The following article mentions in passing that the Iraqi quagmire sends a warning to occupiers of other peoples' lands: Iraqi Quagmire Haunts NATO Riga Summit By K Gajendra Singh

Russia is the only power which even now can thwart US moves and military power. But it was the Iraqi resistance in Iraq which exposed the limits of US military power sending a resounding warning to aggressors and occupiers of other people's lands .A resurgent Talebans with Pakistani acquiescence are doing the same to embattled Nato forces in Afghanistan. While other subjects were discussed at Riga , Afghanistan has now became Nato's major preoccupation and a veritable hot potato.

While I can't agree with everything in the article, I'm wholeheartedly behind the idea that "aggressors and occupiers of other people's lands" must continuously be demoralized.

So it was good the Soviet Union crumbled under its own weight of far flung occupations in Central Asia, Baltics and Eastern Europe. It is good the US exits out of the middle east soon. It is good India had the sense to leave Bangladesh pronto and did so involuntarily in Sri Lanka.

On balance, no spy agencies, regional or global super powers are ever short on dirty tricks and degenerate morals arising out of short-sighted self interest. Their evil doings are usually limited by competence, resources or oversight by civilians that ultimately answer to the electorate.

India has fortunately opted for the western model so dictatorial elements are kicked out sooner or later. Indians don't need the iron fist of the Soviet Politburo that used the gulags to kill millions of its own people or Putin's capitalist dictatorship that gobbles billionaires and kills reporters with impunity.

As much as the US interventions in Iraq are a great lesson for India what not to do, the Russian mafia rule certainly does not offer anything to look up to.

US Democracy Shows Signs of Revival

Much has been written about the recent elections that voted the Democrats back in control of both houses of the U.S. congress. So I'll spare election analysis here. This news item just caught my eye:

U.S. rep to the UN may not get Senate approval

Here is a tribute to the defeated Republican Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee for upholding a high principle of democracy: honoring electoral wishes when he wasn't legally required to do so. For those not fully familiar with the US system, Chafee continues to be a Senator and a member of the Senate foreign relations committee until the new slate swears in early 2007.

Recognizing the electoral mandate for changing the world-alienating course of Bush administration's disastrous foreign policy, in the lame duck session Chafee will not vote to confirm the nomination of the much-despised and out-of-touch US appointee to the UN.

Sen. Lincoln Chafee, a Republican who represents Rhode Island, said he will continue to oppose Bolton's nomination. Chafee lost to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse on Tuesday, but his continued opposition while a member of the Senate foreign relations committee means that the Republicans will not have the votes they need to push his nomination from the committee to the full Senate.

"The American people have spoken out against the president's agenda on a number of fronts, and presumably one of those is on foreign policy," Chafee said. "And at this late stage in my term, I'm not going to endorse something the American people have spoken out against."

A fine sentiment indeed!

India to Let Dictators Thrive in Her Neighborhood

India to Let Dictators Thrive in Her Neighborhood

Singapore, June 3 (AP): India, hailed as the world's biggest democracy, will not export its free society ideology to neighbouring military-ruled Myanmar, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said today.

"Our basic principle is to live in peaceful coexistence and we do not believe in exporting ideologies," Mukherjee said.

"It is for the people of the countries to decide what type of government they would like," he said.

Well, people under a dictator's thumb would love to decide what type of government they would like only if they had the chance without the fear of being jailed for decades or, worse, killed. In other words, people in those countries can decide only if they had democracy in the first place, Mr. Defence minister!

One can only marvel at the oxymoronic platitudes and concomitant insult to the Burmese (Myanmarese) people who by every account would love to be released from under the military jackboots. Who wouldn't?

The minister talks of democracy as an ideology as if the military rule on its both flanks -- Pakistan and Myanmar -- is a benevolent alternative. In the same breath he pays lip service to "letting people decide". Not too long ago, a similar attitude had India caught on the wrong foot as the anti-king demonstrations in Nepal evolved rapidly. The Nepalese people naturally perceived the Indian government was more interested in sucking up to the King even after it became obvious the Gyanendra was losing control. The US ambassador called it before India dared to.

India's NAM-era habit of non-interference, i.e. letting the world's worst despots butcher their people without uttering a single word, seems to have become a sickening addiction. The Indian government sure tries hard to slap a lofty principle on its skulduggery, like the letting people decide comment, but it is hard not to overlook this one was about a potential oil pipeline through Myanmar, about abkeeping the Myanmarese army as a happy arms buyer and of course exploiting its potential as the gateway for India's oft-sited look east policy. Let Daw Aung San Suu Kyi perish in prison and whole generations of her countrymen go through without tasting freedom.