Archive for August, 2006

According to previous Salt Lake Tribune polls a majority of Utahns ardently support President Bush and his claims about bringing freedom and democracy to Iraq. It appears however, that they do not support democratic values, at least, here at home. >A poll released Monday by the Salt Lake Tribune showed that a whopping 45% of the 645 Utahns polled feel the protest of Bush’s Iraq War and other policies hurts the United States and helps enemies. The inherent irony of this type of thinking is apparently lost on this bunch of Bushites. That is to say, 45% feel that the principle of free speech, long established as the cornerstone of democratic society, takes a back seat to the authoritarian principle of deference to power. For example, Salt Lake County Republican Party Chairperson, James Evans was quoted in the Tribune article as saying, “We feel it appropriate to send the proper message to the country with respect to Utah residents . . . ” Statements such as this reinforce the government’s dominance over what the Americans think and say publicly. It also lends credence to the false notion that free speech and expressions of dissent do harm to our country and need to be kept out of sight
 
Similarly, Kirk Jowers blasted Rocky Anderson’s public protest of the President, “He just has an obligation as a host and mayor of this city, and he’s not living up to it . . .”

Jowers claims to be a scholar of Political Science as does the University of Utah where he is Director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics. People of influence, such as Jowers, that tell Utahns they are duty bound to keep quiet and show reverence to authority figures are in fact, the ones that aid our enemies. It is not the dissidents. The S.L. Tribune article of course, conceals the true motives of the statements Mr. Jowers makes. According to Caplin & Drysdale where Jowers is an attorney,  “Mr. Jowers has advised more than 30 Republican congressional candidates and provided legal counsel to George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign on Electoral College issues and in Broward County, Florida during the 2000 election recount controversy.”
 
Mr. Jowers statements belie the fact that the only reason the United States exists at all is because protesters refused to respect the authority of a King that did not represent them. He seems content to act in the service of the King. Even Tribune reporter, Heather May takes the authoritarian perspective when she writes, “the mayor, already disliked by Utahns outside Salt Lake City, inflames those passions by taking the unusual step of protesting a president.”  At this point the hypocrisy of these statements becomes painfully obvious.

The United States under the management of George W. Bush & Co. claims to be engaged in a worldwide war to stop, “Islamofacism” and “spread democracy throughout the Middle East.” How absurd it is that he and his supporters throughout the country do not actually believe in what they are sending others to kill and die for. For instance, Condoleezza Rice’s State Department operates an official website for promoting “democratic values” to other nations and people. The web site is designed to educate people of the world in the basic principles of a liberal democracy and our American form of government. What it says is quite instructive and apparently needs more application here at home than abroad.
 
Utah may not be a developing nation in the “3^rd World” but appears to be in greater need of education about the basics of a democratic society than foreigners are. So for a little fun let’s review the U.S. State Department’s description of  “Principles of Democracy – Freedom of Speech.” Now bear with me for a moment as we recite some elementary principle of free speech and how it relates to creating and safeguarding (not harming!) democratic societies.
 
-            “Democracy depends on a literate, knowledgeable citizenry whose access to information enables it to participate as fully as possible in the public life of society and to criticize unwise or tyrannical government officials or policies. Citizens and their elected representatives recognize that democracy depends upon the widest possible access to uncensored ideas, data, and opinions.”
 
-            “Freedom of Speech and expression, especially about political and other public issues, is the lifeblood of any democracy. Democratic governments do not control the content of most written and verbal speech. Thus democracies are usually filled with many voices expressing different or even contrary ideas and opinions.”
-           “For a free people to govern themselves, they must be free to express themselves – openly, publicly and repeatedly; in speech and writing.
-           “The principle of free speech should be protected by a government’s constitution, preventing the legislative or executive branches of the government from imposing censorship.”
-            “Protests serve as a testing ground for any democracy – thus the right to peaceful assembly is essential and plays an integral part in facilitating the use of free speech. A civil society allows spirited debate among those in deep disagreement over the issues.”

Jowers, Jowers, Jowers? Hatch, Hatch, Hatch? Rumsfeld, Rumsfeld, Rumsfeld?  Guess they were not present this day in American Civics 101. Must’ve been too busy starting wars to, “defend America and promote freedom and democracy.” Or was it, “defend the American People from grave threats to their security?” No, maybe it was to own every last drop of oil on the face of the planet? …nah! So again, the question remains, why are the Bushites in Utah throwing tantrums about supporting our troops and commander in chief to spread freedom and democracy around the globe? Their leaders have already publicly declared that they oppose the fundamental right of free speech, whenever the speech is against them. Free Speech is identified by Condi Rice’s State Department as a basic principle of democracy.  So what gives? What is going to satisfy these folks?
Here is my proposal for a compromise solution to this conflict. Let’s allow the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Hezbollah to come and rule Utah in order to bring a quick end to all this disrespect of our ruling elites, like Bush and Cheney. Then we can send Jowers, Evans, Hatch and maybe even Heather May to Afghanistan, Israeli West Bank, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon where they can teach the people how to practice free speech and protest just like Condi’s U.S. State Department says. By the way, please excuse my disrespectful inquiries but perhaps “spreading freedom and democracy” throughout the Middle East will require some practice here at home first.