Police pepper spray nonviolent students at UC Davis

In America! I say that as if America is exceptional, somehow superior to most countries in terms of human rights. Maybe I should not expect such high standards from America. Or should I?

It's one thing for a a police officer to defend himself against a violent criminal by pepper spraying the criminal in the face. It's a very different thing when you see a police officer pepper spraying passive students at a university that is supposed to be all about tolerance and justice. The only explanation that I can think of is that this police officer's superior officer told him to do this, in which case that superior officer must be fired.



This happened on Friday afternoon. Today the media is giving this incident a lot of coverage, thankfully.

If UC Davis wants to maintain its image as a great liberal university, the university must fire the police officers who pepper sprayed the students. Their superior officers should be fired as well. It is not enough that the chief and the pepper sprayers are put on "administrative leave", especially if they are paid while on leave. The schmucks should not be rewarded with a vacation. They should be fired immediately.

Syrians inspired by Libya taunt Assad

"Taking inspiration from the rapid unraveling of the regime in Libya, thousands of Syrians poured into the streets Monday and taunted President Bashar Assad with shouts that his family's 40-year dynasty will be the next dictatorship to crumble.

Assad, who has tried in vain to crush the 5-month-old revolt, appears increasingly out of touch as he refuses to acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of people demanding his ouster, analysts say. Instead, he blames the unrest on Islamic extremists and thugs."


That would really suck if Islamic extremists and thugs actually take over Libya and Syria. The other day on fb Hayder al Khoei was "wondering how many of the Libyan rebels now fighting Gaddafi were once upon a time in Iraq killing innocent people with Gaddafi's blessings." I am still wondering, and I also wonder how many Syrians who oppose Assad were supporting the insurgency in Iraq at some point since 2003. In any case, I am with the people who want freedom and democracy, and I hope for peace between the Arab countries.

Iraq going in wrong direction

"It appeared Iraq was in a time warp, a nation still struggling with terrorists, sectarian gangs and militias at a time much of the Arab world is moving to replace extremism through revolutions for democracy. The violence seemed intent on disrupting the government of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki as U.S. forces are preparing to leave eight years after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

There were more than 35 attacks nationwide, shattering the relative calm of recent months. The deadliest was in the southern city of Kut, where an explosion whirled through a marketplace. Minutes later, as onlookers gathered, a car bomb detonated, killing at least 33 people and injuring 77, according to a security official."

Corporations have too much influence in America

In light of Mitt Romney's claim that corporations are people, I am posting the short excellent video below. Thanks to a 2010 decision by five (douchebag) Supreme Court judges, corporations are now allowed to spend as much as they like to influence an election. Even before this bad decision, corporations had too much influence in America. It's time to put corporations back in their place.

Bahrainis are educated, refuse to accept despotism

Nicholas Kristof to King Hamad: Release My Friend! "Among those whom you’re imprisoning in Bahrain is a friend of mine. He is an artist, one of the most gentle souls alive, and my deepest fear is that your government may be brutalizing him because of his friendship with me.

Your Majesty, I’m speaking of Hassan al-Sahaf. Now 57, he studied in Britain and then in Los Angeles, Boston and in Oregon, where my mother taught art history — and Hassan became one of my mother’s all-time favorite students. That was 30 years ago, but we have remained in touch ever since.

King Hamad, you present the crackdown on the democracy movement as an effort to restore order. But Hassan is not some teenage firebrand hurling rocks; he’s a slight, graying scholar committed to peace. That’s the pattern: So many of the people in your jails are doctors and intellectuals whose only offense is to dream of democracy.

Hassan told me that his time in America changed him: Once you get used to living in freedom, he explained, it’s hard to give it up. One of your burdens, Your Majesty, is that you educated so many of your people abroad that they no longer accept your despotism."

Iraqi commentators get violent during discussion about Saddam's legacy

Watch this clip of a show called "The Democracy Club" to see a Saddamist (I presume) telling an Iraqi Shiite that he'll cut his tongue out if he talks about Saddam. The Iraqi Shiite replies with "eat shit, I WILL talk about Saddam". They get up, the Saddamist starts throwing punches and a fight ensues. You can hear the Saddamist yelling obscenities, insulting the Shiite's father and calling him a Shroogi, an Iranian. The Shiite replies with some of the same pejoratives ("no YOU are despicable!").

This is an example of why democracy and reconciliation have been so very difficult in Iraq.

Economist's interactive "shoe thrower's" index

This is really cool. The higher you rate corruption as an indicator weight, the higher Iraq moves up on the unrest index.



Thanks Fareed Zakaria for posting on fb.

PS: If you set the democracy weight at 90%, Saudi Arabia ranks highest on the index.

Bahraini fight for democracy

This Al Jazeera English documentary about Bahrain's democracy movement was added to YouTube more than a month ago, but it's good enough to be repeated.



Thanks Aya for posting on fb.

Something smells fishy in Wisconsin

LAT: "In a shocking twist, a clerk in a conservative Wisconsin county announced Thursday that she had discovered a net gain of 7,582 votes for an embattled conservative Supreme Court justice, a total that would make him the winner of an election in which his challenger declared victory Wednesday."

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Conservatives in Iran also miraculously found votes for themselves back in 2009. What a quinky dink!

Saudi prince advocates meaningful reform

"Disheartening as this Arab condition may be, reforming it is neither impossible nor too late. Other societies that were afflicted with similar maladies have managed to restore themselves to health. But we can succeed only if we open our systems to greater political participation, accountability, increased transparency and the empowerment of women as well as youth. The pressing issues of poverty, illiteracy, education and unemployment have to be fully addressed. Initiatives just announced in my country, Saudi Arabia, by King Abdullah are a step in the right direction, but they are only the beginning of a longer journey to broader participation, especially by the younger generation.

The lesson to be learned from the Tunisian, Egyptian and other upheavals — which, it is important to note, were not animated by anti-American fervor or by extremist Islamic zeal — is that Arab governments can no longer afford to take their populations for granted, or to assume that they will remain static and subdued. Nor can the soothing instruments of yesteryear, which were meant to appease, serve any longer as substitutes for meaningful reform. The winds of change are blowing across our region with force, and it would be folly to suppose that they will soon dissipate."

--ALWALEED BIN TALAL BIN ABDULAZIZ AL-SAUD

Thanks Rawlins View for posting on fb.

America's freedom packages

On Monday The Daily Show made fun of US foreign policy. In case you missed it. It's just satire. One of the things I love about America is that we can poke fun at our government's hypocrisy in foreign policy. I like the last part: offer does not apply to the West Bank or Gaza.

The Daily Show
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Eugene Robinson asks: why not Bahrain?

In the clip below Eugene Robinson poses the question: if we're helping the rebels who want democracy in Libya, why not help those who want democracy in Bahrain? It's a good question.

Why not help in other parts of the world, like in Ivory Coast?

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A chance to support a new beginning

Professor Anne-Marie Slaughter: 'Gen. Wesley K. Clark argues that “Libya doesn’t sell much oil to the United States” and that while Americans “want to support democratic movements in the region,” we are already doing that in Iraq and Afghanistan. Framing this issue in terms of oil is exactly what Arab populations and indeed much of the world expect, which is why they are so cynical about our professions of support for democracy and human rights. Now we have a chance to support a real new beginning in the Muslim world — a new beginning of accountable governments that can provide services and opportunities for their citizens in ways that could dramatically decrease support for terrorist groups and violent extremism. It’s hard to imagine something more in our strategic interest.'

Thanks Mona for posting on fb.

One year after elections, Allawi says it's no democracy

He says they have a political process, but not a true democracy.

Should the US intervene in Libya?

Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski says the US should not intervene in Libya alone, that we need Europe's help at least. He is afraid the uprisings in the Middle East may give rise to extremist groups, and democracy may not come out of it. It is a legitimate fear. Also in this clip he says the US abandoned Afghanistan in the late 80s, which was a mistake, because the vacuum allowed the Taliban to take over.

David Ignatius seems more optimistic and says we're seeing something new, a global political awakening by people who want freedom and democracy. This idea is new in the Arab world; it's not the Al Qaeda narrative.

Andrea Mitchell says the Saudis would not allow a Shia government to take control of Bahrain.

Americans seem divided on whether we should interfere in Libya. Brzezinski makes a good point - Europe is more dependent on Libyan oil than the US is, and they should help with a no-fly zone, if there is consensus to do it.

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What happens if Qadhafi remains in control of Libya? What happens if Wahhabis invade Bahrain and start killing Shia? Would Iran get involved? What if the price of crude shoots to $200 per barrel? I bet the US would act alone just to keep the price of oil from spiraling out of control.

PS: I should not have said the idea is new in the Arab world. Arabs have always wanted freedom and democracy. The idea is not new. Maybe what is new are non-violent protests in multiple Arab nations at the same time.

Yearning for freedom and democracy is unstoppable

even in KSA, says Fadel Gheit, a managing director at Oppenheimer & Co.

"The root cause of the Middle East unrest, Ghait says, is inequality. Decades of autocratic rule have increased frustration that the vast wealth of the oil-producing countries in the region is in the hands of a small privileged few, and this frustration is finally boiling over. Although governments are making small concessions designed to quell this frustration, Gheit believes the yearning for freedom and democracy is unstoppable."

Thanks Maury for linking.

Iraqis want a better democracy

WP: "The mood in Iraq has shifted with the uprisings across the Arab world. Frustration over jobs, corruption and services inspired Iraqis to take to the streets last Friday and over the weekend, precipitating the resignations of at least three provincial governors and prompting calls for long-promised local elections. While turnout was not overwhelming, Iraqis across the country demonstrated. The government tried to stifle the demonstrations by claiming they would be infiltrated by al-Qaeda. Security forces reacted violently, killing at least 17."

The Arab youth are demanding reform

'It is about time. For the last 50 years, America (and Europe and Asia) have treated the Middle East as if it were just a collection of big gas stations: Saudi station, Iran station, Kuwait station, Bahrain station, Egypt station, Libya station, Iraq station, United Arab Emirates station, etc. Our message to the region has been very consistent: “Guys (it was only guys we spoke with), here’s the deal. Keep your pumps open, your oil prices low, don’t bother the Israelis too much and, as far as we’re concerned, you can do whatever you want out back. You can deprive your people of whatever civil rights you like. You can engage in however much corruption you like. You can preach whatever intolerance from your mosques that you like. You can print whatever conspiracy theories about us in your newspapers that you like. You can keep your women as illiterate as you like. You can create whatever vast welfare-state economies, without any innovative capacity, that you like. You can undereducate your youth as much as you like. Just keep your pumps open, your oil prices low, don’t hassle the Jews too much — and you can do whatever you want out back.”

It was that attitude that enabled the Arab world to be insulated from history for the last 50 years — to be ruled for decades by the same kings and dictators. Well, history is back. The combination of rising food prices, huge bulges of unemployed youth and social networks that are enabling those youths to organize against their leaders is breaking down all the barriers of fear that kept these kleptocracies in power.'

--Thomas Friedman

Americans less enthusiastic about democracy in Bahrain

"Bahrain's Shia have long been discriminated against in the country and they say their protests have nothing to do with Iran and everything with wanting to be accepted as full Bahraini citizens. They accuse the authorities of waving the spectre of Iran to stop the West from supporting them.

It may well be working for now. When hundreds of thousands of people took the streets in Egypt, many American officials, briefly forgetful of the complications this presented for their foreign policy, were glued to their television sets and some sounded ever so slightly excited at the sight of people power in action in the Arab world on such a scale.

There is none of that enthusiasm about the unfolding events in Manama. The violence of the security forces has shocked many and the sectarian undertones, real or imagined, mean everybody is more careful about the positions they take in public.

American officials have been very tight-lipped about their conversations with Arab rulers, only emphasising in public the need for real reform, repeatedly. It is an attempt by Washington to try to avoid having to choose again between an Arab leader and his people."

Bahraini protests not about sectarianism

'The small Persian Gulf island's population of about 738,000, according to the CIA World Factbook, is made up of about 65 percent Shiites and 35 percent Sunnis. The Shiite Muslims say they experience discrimination in finding housing and jobs.

Because Shiites make up the bulk of the population, they experience the burden of what's unjust under a regime that doesn't want to lose its grip on power, said Toby Jones, a professor of Middle East history at Rutgers University. "It's not about sectarianism, it's about authoritarianism and democracy," he said.'

Thanks Hayder for posting on fb.