Comments on: Literary Quote of the Day: Natan Sharansky http://themoderatevoice.com/10310/literary-quote-of-the-day-natan-sharansky/ An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:08:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: m http://themoderatevoice.com/10310/literary-quote-of-the-day-natan-sharansky/comment-page-1/#comment-44270 m Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:14:54 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/entertainment/books/literary-quote-of-the-day-natan-sharansky/#comment-44270 I guess it is up to who defines what exactly a repressive Govt. is. Was South Africa before the fall of Apartheid? What about Israel now? Is it a Democracy where a person must belong to a particular religion to be elected? Could a Christian be president in Israel? Could a Catholic? Is it repressive to have 'voter ID cards'? Can you take any land you want based on 3,000 year old myths? Is it a good idea to base political activities on religion? The war was a huge mistake and Israel is hoping to keep American kids dying to protect their country. The war over there is not our war. The US should withdraw and make it clear borders 12,000 miles away are not our main concern. Washington warned of foreign entanglements, and look what we are in now! The Hawkish Israelis and the Money-loving capitalists ala Dick Cheney have created an ongoing war. The horrible part is THIS is the exact outcome Bin Laden would have wanted. The US in a death wrestle, in a war it can never win, with no defined victory. We even took out an Opponent of Bin Laden, the non-religious Bath party of Iraq. Bush was played, the conservatives were played and Israel is hoping to keep us involved or they will have a real war on their hands...(maybe that would stop them from stealing more land and water rights for a while?) I guess it is up to who defines what exactly a repressive Govt. is. Was South Africa before the fall of Apartheid? What about Israel now? Is it a Democracy where a person must belong to a particular religion to be elected? Could a Christian be president in Israel? Could a Catholic? Is it repressive to have ‘voter ID cards’? Can you take any land you want based on 3,000 year old myths? Is it a good idea to base political activities on religion?

The war was a huge mistake and Israel is hoping to keep American kids dying to protect their country. The war over there is not our war. The US should withdraw and make it clear borders 12,000 miles away are not our main concern. Washington warned of foreign entanglements, and look what we are in now! The Hawkish Israelis and the Money-loving capitalists ala Dick Cheney have created an ongoing war. The horrible part is THIS is the exact outcome Bin Laden would have wanted. The US in a death wrestle, in a war it can never win, with no defined victory. We even took out an Opponent of Bin Laden, the non-religious Bath party of Iraq. Bush was played, the conservatives were played and Israel is hoping to keep us involved or they will have a real war on their hands…(maybe that would stop them from stealing more land and water rights for a while?)

]]> By: Michael van der Galien http://themoderatevoice.com/10310/literary-quote-of-the-day-natan-sharansky/comment-page-1/#comment-44250 Michael van der Galien Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:48:55 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/entertainment/books/literary-quote-of-the-day-natan-sharansky/#comment-44250 I have to get this book. I have to get this book.

]]> By: Gray http://themoderatevoice.com/10310/literary-quote-of-the-day-natan-sharansky/comment-page-1/#comment-44209 Gray Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:11:34 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/entertainment/books/literary-quote-of-the-day-natan-sharansky/#comment-44209 "Every policy of the Putin administration is anathema to what Sakharov believed in and fought for. For the past three years, I have witnessed the systematic dismantling of democratic institutions, the suppression of independent media, and the instigation of nationalism and xenophobia. ... It is a penchant of oppressive regimes to decorate themselves with fake attributes of democracy - sham elections, a servile judiciary, manipulated media. In today's Russia the masquerade is called 'managed democracy.'... I am told that the appeasement of 'managed democracy' is the necessary evil needed to keep an important ally within the coalition against terror." Elena Bonner, widow of Russian anti-Communist, pro-democracy dissident Andrei Sakharov during the Soviet years, on Russia under Vladimir Putin Well, there's democracy and then there's democracy à la Bush and Putin. “Every policy of the Putin administration is anathema to what Sakharov believed in and fought for. For the past three years, I have witnessed the systematic dismantling of democratic institutions, the suppression of independent media, and the instigation of nationalism and xenophobia. … It is a penchant of oppressive regimes to decorate themselves with fake attributes of democracy – sham elections, a servile judiciary, manipulated media. In today’s Russia the masquerade is called ‘managed democracy.’… I am told that the appeasement of ‘managed democracy’ is the necessary evil needed to keep an important ally within the coalition against terror.”
Elena Bonner, widow of Russian anti-Communist, pro-democracy dissident Andrei Sakharov during the Soviet years, on Russia under Vladimir Putin

Well, there’s democracy and then there’s democracy à la Bush and Putin.

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