From the Gulag to the Gitmo

Today's Washington Post editorial "More Excuses" reminded me of that memorable scene from the Jack Nicholson movie, “A Few Good Men”. In this instance, however, I envisioned Vice Adm. Albert T. Church III roaring at his recent Senate Armed Services Committee panel hearing, “You can’t handle the truth!”

When President Bush looked into Vladimir Putin’s eyes and got a sense of his soul, he must have also realized why the Soviet Union thought that the gulags were indispensable during the Cold War? They believed that the security of the state was paramount, and it had no constitutional provisions for individual liberties. In the post-9/11 era, the Bush Administration has perpetrated the likes of Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, and an incredible phenomenon called “rendition” in trying to ensure the security of the United States. Putin must surely be thinking, "What used to be good for the goose (i.e., the Soviet Union), has become even better for the gander (i.e., the U.S.A)? So why does this Jim Hoagland[1] guy think I have a "siege mentality" and a "defiant demeanor"? Reassess this, comrade!" Note to Bush: in the long run, the gulags did not guarantee the security of the "evil empire".

To maintain any sense of credibility, as he goes about promoting democracy and freedom around the world, President Bush needs to use the constitution of the United States of America as a guide, and The Declaration of Independence as a moral compass. The endowments of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness are absolute - they cannot be traded for stability or convenience. If President Bush hopes to see, what Thomas Friedman[2] calls, a Baghdad spring "blossom into sustainable democracy" across the Middle East, he needs to practice what he preaches. Charity, per the old idiom, begins at home!

[1] The reference is to The Washington Post op-ed columnist, Jim Hoagland, whose article entitled, “Reassessing Putin” appears in today’s edition of the Post.
[2] The reference is to The New York Times op-ed columnist, Thomas Friedman, whose article entitled, “New Signs on the Arab Street” appears in today’s edition of the Times.