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Rice Defends Bush's Democracy Promotion
  
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By Bradley Vasoli, The Bulletin
Former President George W. Bush’s foreign policy doesn’t look due for resurrection anytime soon. But former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice put in a good word for his agenda of democracy promotion at Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue last night.
In that sense, it was an atypical event, perhaps befittingly so since it kicked off the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia’s 60th anniversary year.
Dr. Rice, who also served as national security adviser, took the opportunity to articulate three principles of foreign policymaking she believed presidents must continue to heed.
“We have to believe in democracy and we have to say it,” went the first of the three. She dismissed opponents of Mr. Bush’s Iraq and other Middle East policies who question the wisdom of “imposing democracy” on other nations through the use of force.
But in her critics’ logic, she saw a contradiction. She described freedom to choose one’s leaders as a universal human right that doesn’t come from whoever happens to have a hold on power at a given time.
“You don’t impose democracy, you impose tyranny,” she said.
The idea of democracy promotion occasionally took the Bush administration’s policies in directions many didn’t expect early on, regarding for instance Mr. Bush’s support for a Palestinian state. Dr. Rice perseveringly backed the plan, though it hasn’t come to fruition yet.
“The Palestinians deserve their state and Israel deserves the peace that will come from having a democratic neighbor,” she said.
She also spoke directly to the Bush administration’s aggressive democracy promotion in Iraq, saying that without the institution of democratic government, Iraq’s diverse population would have no way to resolve differences peacefully.
Dr. Rice was as forthright, and almost as unfashionable, in describing her other two principles: The war on terrorism is “a question of right and wrong” and it requires “constant vigilance.”
Bradley Vasoli can be reached bvasoli@thebulletin.us
In that sense, it was an atypical event, perhaps befittingly so since it kicked off the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia’s 60th anniversary year.
Dr. Rice, who also served as national security adviser, took the opportunity to articulate three principles of foreign policymaking she believed presidents must continue to heed.
“We have to believe in democracy and we have to say it,” went the first of the three. She dismissed opponents of Mr. Bush’s Iraq and other Middle East policies who question the wisdom of “imposing democracy” on other nations through the use of force.
But in her critics’ logic, she saw a contradiction. She described freedom to choose one’s leaders as a universal human right that doesn’t come from whoever happens to have a hold on power at a given time.
“You don’t impose democracy, you impose tyranny,” she said.
The idea of democracy promotion occasionally took the Bush administration’s policies in directions many didn’t expect early on, regarding for instance Mr. Bush’s support for a Palestinian state. Dr. Rice perseveringly backed the plan, though it hasn’t come to fruition yet.
“The Palestinians deserve their state and Israel deserves the peace that will come from having a democratic neighbor,” she said.
She also spoke directly to the Bush administration’s aggressive democracy promotion in Iraq, saying that without the institution of democratic government, Iraq’s diverse population would have no way to resolve differences peacefully.
Dr. Rice was as forthright, and almost as unfashionable, in describing her other two principles: The war on terrorism is “a question of right and wrong” and it requires “constant vigilance.”
Bradley Vasoli can be reached bvasoli@thebulletin.us
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