Kofi Annan visits the Truman Library to bad-mouth America again - 12-Dec-06 - Generational Dynamics

Annan went to the Truman Library to honor President Harry S. Truman, who was the guiding force in the creation of the United Nations in 1947.

"And states need to play by the rules towards each other, as well as towards their own citizens," said Annan, in a rebuke to the United States. "That can sometimes be inconvenient, but ultimately what matters is not inconvenience. It is doing the right thing. No state can make its own actions legitimate in the eyes of others. When power, especially military force, is used, the world will consider it legitimate only when convinced that it is being used for the right purpose – for broadly shared aims – in accordance with broadly accepted norms."

And, in a personal rebuke to President Bush, Annan said: "And in order to function more effectively, the system still cries out for far-sighted American leadership, in the Truman tradition."

What Annan is evidently not aware of is the Truman Doctrine, which was formulated to guarantee that there would never be another war like World War II.

In 1947, a crisis between Turkey and Greece led President Truman the formulate the "Truman Doctrine," which essentially made America the Policemen of the World. Here's an excerpt from President Truman's speech to a joint session of Congress:

"We have considered how the United Nations might assist in [the Turkey / Greece] crisis. But the situation is an urgent one, requiring immediate action, and the United Nations and its related organizations are not in a position to extend help of the kind that is required. ... As in the case of Greece, if Turkey is to have the assistance it needs, the United States must supply it. We are the only country able to provide that help. ...

The peoples of a number of countries of the world have recently had totalitarian regimes forced upon them against their will. The Government of the United States has made frequent protests against coercion and intimidation in violation of the Yalta agreement in Poland, Rumania, and Bulgaria. I must also state that in a number of other countries there have been similar developments.

At the present moment in world history nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life. The choice is too often not a free one. One way of life is based upon the will of the majority, and is distinguished by free institutions, representative government, free elections, guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from political oppression. The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority. It relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio, fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedoms.

I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.

I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.

I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.

The world is not static, and the status quo is not sacred. But we cannot allow changes in the status quo in violation of the Charter of the United Nations by such methods as coercion, or by such subterfuges as political infiltration. In helping free and independent nations to maintain their freedom, the United States will be giving effect to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations."

President Truman made the additional point that, no matter much it cost the United States to provide this help, the cost would be far less than the cost of World War II.

This has been a major principle guiding American foreign policy since President Truman enunciated it. It provided the justification for Truman's intervention in the Korean War, for President Kennedy's intervention in the Vietnam War. In fact, President Kennedy launched TWO pre-emptive wars against Cuba -- the first, based on faulty CIA intelligence, led to the "Bay of Pigs disaster," and the second, the blockade of Cuba, risked nuclear war with the Soviet union.

These are exactly the same principles that President Bush followed in the Iraq intervention. That's why President Truman would consider Kofi Annan to be a fool.

In another ironic twist, Annan chided the U.S. and other world powers for not intervening in the Darfur civil war.

Annan said: "And when I look at the murder, rape and starvation to which the people of Darfur are being subjected, I fear that we have not got far beyond 'lip service.' The lesson here is that high-sounding doctrines like the 'responsibility to protect' will remain pure rhetoric unless and until those with the power to intervene effectively – by exerting political, economic or, in the last resort, military muscle – are prepared to take the lead."

In other words, in the same speech in which criticizes America for intervening in Iraq, he also criticizes America for not intervening in Darfur.

And if we did intervene in Darfur, and things started to go wrong, what would Annan say then? He'd be rebuking us again, this time for intervening in Darfur.

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 12-Dec-06
Kofi Annan visits the Truman Library to bad-mouth America again

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 12-Dec-06 Kofi Annan visits the Truman Library to bad-mouth America again

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 12-Dec-06
Kofi Annan visits the Truman Library to bad-mouth America again