Memo to President Barak Obama: this arms deal demonstrates (as if that reality needed any demonstration)is that for the United States Government, democracy and human rights are only acceptable when they are convenient for the US government, and when they are not, they can simply be thrown under the proverbial bus.
The largely Shiite population of Bahrain is consistently oppressed, to the point of military attacks against civilians and torture, by a nastily autocratic, tin-eared and blind Sunni hereditary monarchy which hasn't quite gotten the memo that they are living in the 21st century.
Yes, I do understand that Bahrain is home to the US's 5th fleet; but holy Hieronymous Bosch, is there not someplace else, some other country, which would be happy to accept their presence which is not an autocratic, poverty and corruption-ridden dictatorial monarchy, with absolutely no concern for the welfare of their people?!?!?
Do you have any idea of how embarrassing this is for the US's image, particularly in countries where the notion peaceful, democratic self-determination is just beginning to bloom?!?
And the only logical conclusion to that question has to be, you don't give a damn how this looks to the world, because you are simply doing what your predecessors have done forever; just propping up yet another tinpot dictator because it would be "inconvenient" not to.
King Hamad bin Isa Khalifa is just another in an endless string of tyrants the US government has supported over the years.
And when, ultimately, such tyrants are overthrown, the Presidents, Pentagon and State department officials and Congressional members collectively roll their eyes, as though they absolutely couldn't see it coming.
But Mr. President, I would strongly caution you on this practice by quoting a man for whom I believe you had at least some respect for, the late President John Kennedy who once remarked, "When peaceful revolution is impossible, violent revolution is inevitable."
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