[Pen-l] Russia/Georgia bs. Israel/Lebanon

["Jim Devine" <jdevine03@xxxxxxxxx>]

it would be useful if someone were to analyze the similarities and
differences between the official press reporting on Russia's attack on
Georgia and that concerning Israel's 2006 attack on Lebanon.

from Juan Cole:
Bush's demand that Russia "reverse course" on Georgia and not try to
overthrow an elected government is full of special pleading.

Bush has no standing to ask anyone not to go around invading
countries, of course.

That is the point of his underlining that Georgia's government is
elected. Why Bush would never undermine a democratically elected
government, would he?

But that is exactly what he did when Hamas won the elections for the
Palestine Authority in January of 2006. Bush slapped sanctions on the
elected government and encouraged Israel as it kidnapped ministers,
and then ultimately connived at a coup in the West Bank (an an
attempted one in Gaza, which failed).

And, of course, Cheney and Bush supported Pakistani dictator Pervez
Musharraf against much more popular civilian officials willing to run
against actual other candidates. Before she was assassinated, Benazir
Bhutto said that she wished Cheney had reined Musharraf in. Bush even
initially was lukewarm about the popularly-elected parliament that is
now set on impeaching Musharraf. Bush only just stopped taking his
'best buddy's' phone calls.

Bush and Cheney are shocked, shocked that a great Power would act
unilaterally and with massive force to secure its interests, violating
the Enlightenment principle of popular sovereignty.

-- 
Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own
way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.
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