Democracy in America and Russia

Paul Craig Roberts ponders the fate of the U.S.A. To quote:

Americans are unable to connect their dissatisfaction with the current political leadership with their choice of new leaders. All polls show that Hillary Clinton is far in the lead for the Democratic presidential nomination and Rudy Giuliani is far in the lead for the Republican nomination. These are the only two candidates guaranteed to be worse than Bush-Cheney.

Both Hillary and Rudy are committed to the war. Both refuse to rule out expanding the war to Iran and beyond. Both are totally in the pocket of the Israel lobby. Indeed, practically every Giuliani advisor is a member of the lobby. Both defend the police state measures that “protect us from terrorism.” And neither gives a hoot for the U.S. Constitution and the civil liberties it guarantees. The Republican Giuliani is likely to overturn the Second Amendment even quicker than the Democrat Hillary.

Both Hillary and Rudy are creatures of ambition, not of principle. Both are one up on Karl Marx. Marx said truth serves class interests. For Hillary and Rudy, truth is what serves their individual interests. They both wear black hats, and the horse they ride is called power.

Justin Raimondo discusses democracy in Russia. (Via Lew Rockwell)

Is Russia democratic? Yes, but the nature of the regime is irrelevant to the question of what our policy toward Moscow ought to be. Even if Russia should really begin to backslide into authoritarianism, as Western commentators like to put it, we will not benefit from trying to engineer regime change or otherwise interfering in Russia's internal affairs – and neither, in the long run, will the Russian people.

Even given all Putin's faults, however, the Russia of today represents a tremendous advance over the dark days of the Bolshevik horror: seen in perspective – that is, since 1917 – Putin's Russia is a vast improvement, both for the people of Russia and our own national interest. Our intervention can only hurt the future of the Russian people and encourage a nationalist backlash we will live to regret.

Isabel Lyman talks about Ron Paul and why he is by far the best pro-life candidate. She says:

There’s even a whole passel of Religious Right leadership – from Pat Robertson (Rudy’s the guy) to Bob Jones III (Mitt’s my man) to Sam Brownback (I’m for McCain) to Janet Folger (Go Huckabee Go) to the National Right to Life Committee (Fred!) to the Home School Legal Defense Association PAC (Ditto what Janet said) - who have taken an “Anybody But Ron Paul” (ABRP) stand.

Anybody but the guy who is so pro-life he’s delivered over 4000 babies and who avers that he has “never once considered performing an abortion.” Anybody but the guy who is so opposed to government pork that he has been christened the “Taxpayers’ Best Friend.” Anybody but the guy who wants to stop offering “birthright” citizenship to illegal aliens. Anybody but the guy who, shortly after 9-11, authored the Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001. Anybody but the guy who wants to shut down the IRS and the Federal Department of Education and believes the Second Amendment means what it says. Anybody but the guy who has honorably served his country in the military.

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