2 comments

• M Kumar

  The concept and principles of Human Rights and Democracy preached and practiced by Western Democracies especially the US, EU (earlier known as EEC) and Japan (the industrialized rich countries) since World War II, remain very ambiguous and questionable. The United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy are countries that have waged wars, invaded weak and helpless countries and killed millions of human beings in the name of civilization, democracy and peace. During the cold war period US and Britain ganged up to intimidate, subjugate and oppress any developing or emerging nation which challenged their cosmetic ideologies ranging from Democracy to Human Rights. The truth is that the Anglo-American war-machine never wanted any country to challenge their ideologies or dogmas. Broadly what US, Britain and France felt good for the world was the BEST!!. Hence thou shall NOT challenge or drift from OUR sphere of influence was their dictum. The Western nations especially the trio US, Britain and France had remained bellicose and belligerent towards weaker and developing nations in the third world.
  In fact, US was the first country to use Nuclear weapons to crush and subjugate a country during WW II. The Vietnam War taught the world more about Democracy and Human Rights. The US invaded Vietnam to save Democracy and Human Rights in Indo-China !! The US military used the deadly Agent Orange a poisonous herbicide and defoliant. The US military sprayed over 12 million gallons of Agent Orange between1961 and 1971 covering an area over 9.8 million acres including the fertile Mekong Delta. Millions of acres of paddy field and livestock were destroyed. In 2005 the Government of Vietnam stated that there are over 4 million victims of Agent Orange. The veterans from Australia, Canada and New Zealand who were affected by Agent Orange were fully compensated. The tragedy is, not a single Vietnamese has received compensation. I have visited Vietnam a few times and seen people devastated by Agent Orange and suffering from prostrate cancer, respiratory cancer, multiple e myeloma and et al. A war criminal, Henry Kissinger former NSA was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1973, perhaps for killing thousands in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia!!

  My friends, it is important to realize that the use of Agent Orange to destroy the paddy fields and the fertile foliage was first authorized by none other than the paragon of DEMOCRACY, the then President of the United States, John F.Kennedy. I presume the current generation only remembers the NY airport named after him! But a few also remember the mess he made in Cuba in the name of democracy and human rights.

  If we leap forward in time and talk about Afghanistan we frighteningly realize the US – NATO led invasion in 2001 popularly called the War on Terror after 9/11 by the Western media had created mayhem and a humanitarian tragedy. Hundreds of thousands had been uprooted from their homes and over 3,000 women, children and men were killed in 2006 by the war led by NATO and the US forces. Afghans do not trust the NATO led forces.
  Again in 2003 the Anglo-American forces invaded a weak and suffering Iraq to get rid of a man called Saddam Hussein who refused to play ball with the west. This naked aggression of a weak third world state by the world most powerful army or the gangsters had created a human tragedy. 1,091,858 innocent Iraqi women, children had been killed as of today (October 23,2007). Over 3 million Iraqis have fled their country to neighboring countries as refugees owing to this war and uncertainty.. This war was persecuted by US and Britain to establish and implement Democracy and Human Rights in Iraq. The evil and wicked duo Bush and Blair will be cursed and hated by all the Iraqis for destroying their country. But the world remains helpless .The bullies are having their way.
  It is an accepted fact that Rajapakse the current President of Sri Lanka is backed and supported by United States, Britain and France. The EU countries remain paralyzed as the leading EU member Britain overtly supports Rajapakse’s war efforts to crush the Tamils. The world is told that the civil war is against the terrorists Tamil Tigers. Tamil Tigers are terrorists, accepted. No dispute about that. But this civil war is against the helpless and downtrodden Tamils. The Sinhalese ruling class had subjugated the minorities Tamils, Muslims and Burghers since independence from Britain in 1948. That is history and a factual situation
  The chances of Louise Arbour, UNHCR to improve the Human Rights situation in Sri Lanka is similar to George Bush Jr. the Devil incarnate improving the ground situation in Iraq. Furthermore Louise Arbour the French Canadian may find it difficult to implement her wish, as her Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a close associate of the devil incarnate George Bush Jr… Ms.Arbour will not displease her PM. As we all know – Might is Right!!

  23 October 2007, 7:51 am

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• k

  it is a pity that you manage to lose focus in yr cliche ridden diatribe. If the west is so inherently evil than please answer where the money came from to help tsuname victims…

  devils incarnate notwitstanding, my humble observation s that people of all nationalities and cultures are capable of despicable acts. (ie current day Burma, the khmer Rouge… the Asian lineup of devils incarnate is as volumnious as that of the newly minted west)

  do most westerners have sympathy with Tamils. A resounding yes but realise that civil wars are not known for their fairness, nor adjudicated by the international community using marquis of queensbury rules… they are harsh and brutal and at times lengthy.

  the afghanistan mission is UN sanctioned, does the previous writer challenge the hegemony of the UN Security council to pass such a resolution… Fie on you sir, such vacillation and verbal ambiguity relating to Ethiopia is what accelerated the demise of the League of Nations.

  oh and finally. to the moderator. is devil incarnate an acceptable comment? Or is it not a personal attack…
  —whatever you select, dont ask the Devil

  23 October 2007, 14:58 pm

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