Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Israeli president says Israel should go into Iran with a coalition

JERUSALEM -- If Israel heads toward a military strike on Iran, they shouldn't go it alone, Israeli President Shimon Peres said Tuesday in an interview for the Global News program The West Block with Tom Clark.

The president's comments pile onto the deluge already heard in the debate on the issue, with several current and former officials taking a public stance against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the issue.

"Iran is trying to be the mother and father of terrorism," Peres said of the potential nuclear threat. "It's not a matter of gestures, or that sort of thing. It must be organized. It's better to do (it with) a coalition. I think that's the right way to do it."

Meanwhile, Netanyahu and Israeli Denfence Minister Ehud Barak have taken hard-line positions that all options, including an independent attack, are on the table.

Peres' comments have been echoed, both by the country's top military officer, who suggested during an interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and by former prime minister Ehud Olmert that the threat Iran is posing less urgent than Netanyahu is letting on.

Peres, too, tried to cool the rhetoric in his exclusive one-on-one interview.

Rather than throwing armed forces at Iran, Peres said the conflict must be dealt with by processes such as economic sanctions, which seem to be working at present.

On Syria, another battleground in the region, Peres was adamant the the slaughter of innocent civilians has to stop, but stressed that military intervention involving countries like Canada isn't the best course at the moment.

Last year, a multi-national coalition including Canada intervened in Libya, enforcing a no-fly zone and launching air strikes against Libyan tanks and vehicles.

"Canada (wants) to stop the killing of children... Maybe there are other means. Nobody wants to kill, but everybody wants to stop the killing," Peres said.

"I'm telling you, as a human being, I have the highest respect for the people in revolt. Every day to go and demonstrate, in the face of fire and loss of life, that's courage."

The United Nations has said more than 9,000 people have died or been killed since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad started in March last year.

Despite the death toll of the uprising, part of the Arab Spring that started in Tunisia and gripped the Arab world beginning in December 2010, Peres said he remains optimistic that democracy will prevail.

Original Article
Source: global news
Author: Global News/The West Block

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