GRAIN OF SALT

There have been many different reactions to the speech delivered by US President George W Bush at his inauguration for a second term last Thursday in Washington. For some it was a “stirring” call to the American ideal of spreading freedom and democracy everywhere in the world. To the more objective, it was full of the usual rhetoric, nothing more fundamental. Some commentators went so far as to count the number of times the words “freedom” and “liberty” were uttered by President Bush — no less than 47 times in the 21 minute speech.

But at no point did President Bush mention the word “Iraq,” which is not really surprising given the mess that its illegal invasion of that Middle East country has created for the people of Iraq, thousands of whom have been killed and who face daily and deadly bombs. It was an invasion based on lies about the existence of weapons of mass destruction - weapons which after so much devastation and great loss in human life are yet to be found. The US Government is not even mentioning the word “weapons” these days because they can no longer continue the lie. As USA Today commented on Friday: “Since the primary justifications for invading Iraq — Saddam Hussein’s supposed weapons of mass destruction and connection to al Qaeda — have  evaporated, the administration has increasingly argued that planting democracy in the Middle East is just as important.”

To be fair, Bush’s speech on Thursday was different from the go-it-alone rhetoric and action that alienated allies, prompted a rush to war in Iraq and angered so many millions of people. Was there a hint somewhere that the USA was rethinking its attitude to the rest of the world? In stating that freedom must be chosen and that America would not impose its own style of Government on the unwilling, was Bush acknowledging that the US was wrong to invade Iraq? That the creation of a climate of disregard for legal and humanitarian standards in the treatment of Iraq prisoners was wrong?

Parts of the President’s speech were in sharp contrast to the reality of his administration’s unilateralist approach to the world and the heavy hand that, as the world’s only superpower it uses in its own interest — diplomacy and leverage if possible but by war if necessary. Mr Bush uses words that convey high ideals about liberty and freedom. But until his words are translated into real regard for people who do not share his philosophy they will have to be taken with a grain of salt.