U.S. Democracy - View

  27 October 2014    Read: 1912
U.S. Democracy - View
On the international scene, the issue of democratization gained momentum in the wake of the WWII. Indeed, democratization is the most significant mechanism yet, reciprocally regulating state-society relations. Still, there are different mechanisms of its application within the state system and in the society. States are not using this as standard prescription and thus, its application varies depending from the country and the society.

In his opening address at the annual session of the Clinton Global Initiative U.S. President Barack Obama lectured the nations of the world on democracy. According to Obama, ``From Russia to China to Venezuela you are seeing relentless crackdowns, vilifying legitimate dissent as subversive. In places like Azerbaijan laws make it incredibly difficult for NGO’s even to operate…``. He then went on to say, ``What’s needed is an even stronger campaign to defend democracy``. Yes there is, and the U.S. is a telling example of that.

Obama criticized his nation’s policy as well, and laid out his view with respect to democracy, problems with human rights protection and etc. Although he spoke of the ways of alleviating the problems, the U.S. is unable to do so. Thus, without "extinguishing fire” at home, Obama describes smoke from the chimney of others as a blaze.

U.S. President can afford to speak out on different issues. Yet, while doing so, he is ought to honour the notions of international law, political ethics and justice, something universally accepted in the international relations and regrettably subject to corrosion in the aftermath of the collapse of the bi-polar world.

The U.S. is presented as a cradle and a guardian of democracy in the world. But there are hidden sides of the very ``democracy`` and it is made sure that they stay hidden. So, here is the U.S. interpretation of democracy:

– U.S. had committed 65 massacres against the Native Indians, killing well over 3 million people. The last one occurred in 1911 and was actually documented as the ``Last Massacre``;

– The ships known as ``Tumberio`` or carriers of the dead brought 12.5 million slaves to the U.S. from the XVI century until 1808. Although slavery in the U.S. was officially abolished on 18 December 1865, racial discrimination still persists today;

– Martin Luther King who fiercely struggled against racism was assassinated on 4 February 1968;

– In recent months a racially-profiled killing of a black teen provoked unrest in the city of Fergusson where protesters were either arrested or subjected to brute police force response;

– In the city of New York, 70 percent of arrested, 50 percent of fired upon and 70 percent of murdered individuals are black;

– One third of the blacks aged 20-29 in the U.S. are either incarcerated or held in detention pending trial;

– For over 10 years the U.S. Government uses Guantanamo for imprisoning people without a warrant and subjecting them to torture;

– Towards the end of the WWII, 100 thousand Japanese civilians were killed and many more wounded in the aftermath of nuclear bombings of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki on 6 August 1945;

– Civilians were also killed during Vietnam War of 1962-1971. 80 million liters of chemical dioxin gas was used by the Americans resulting in death and maiming of nearly 5 million Vietnamese;

– People of Korea was divided in two, with profound animosity between them and the policy of sowing hatred continuing;

– U.S. invasion of Iraq over its vast energy resources cost thousands of innocent Iraqi lives, while millions of others were forced to flee their homes;

– Post 9/11 invasion of Afghanistan entailed thousands of deaths;

– High precision weapons were used in Iraq and Afghanistan targeting not military installations but innocent people;

– ``Peacemaker`` U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan murder civilians just to desecrate their corpses and make pictures for their grandchildren;

– Toppling of government in Libya and attempts to realize the same scenario in Syria has provoked widespread chaos throughout the region;

– While having proclaimed war on terrorism, U.S. released from jail convicted Armenian terrorists.

Hatem Jabbarli

Doctor of Political Science

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