Bush Urges Worldwide Democratic Reforms, Signs Bill on Abortion

Re “Bush Says U.S. Must Spread Democracy,” Nov. 7: As the number of dead soldiers increases, along with discontent in the United States, President Bush continues to shift the reasons for his unnecessary war. First we are told that Iraq was a threat, though there are no WMDs to be found. Then we had to fight terrorism, though there was no connection between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. Now we are told that our job is to spread democracy. This is utter nonsense.

Bush is playing a shell game, hoping no one notices that he led the country into one of the biggest blunders in American history. Hundreds of Americans have died for reasons that were created by White House speechwriters. Far from being helpful, I predict Bush’s latest reason for his foolish war will be a disaster. It reeks of further arrogance on his part. He has now thrown down the gauntlet for every other Arab nation. Democratize, or else. Gee, I wonder how the Syrians and Saudis are going to react to that.

This administration is a disaster, mindlessly lurching from one excuse for war to the next. It is sickening to think that any American has died because of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney’s hubris.

John Smart

Los Angeles

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Bush’s statements about encouraging democracy are somewhat confusing. Let’s see, if I were an Iraqi I would think: This man slams a plethora of explosives into my backyard, doesn’t speak my language, knows little about my culture, kills many of my people, piles up the jobless list, gets his soldiers to push us around and then talks about a democracy peace pipe. I know what I would tell Bush if I were an Iraqi: Take your democracy and shove it!

This man also speaks with a forked tongue. And as a U.S. citizen I am paying tax dollars to hear this claptrap. I recommend that Bush get a new people-savvy education.

Murtadha A. Khakoo

Fullerton

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Bush wants to spread democracy? Do you really think he would ever want global democracy? Especially since the U.S. population of 280 million would be vastly outnumbered by the rest of the world’s billions? Bush will not even follow the semi-democratic votes of the United Nations -- a structure that undemocratically gives greater power to the U.S. and other elite nations than a classic democratic structure based on population. This is Orwellian doublespeak. The truth is that Bush wants the illusion of fighting for democracy while really trying to thwart it.

Doug Kieso

Los Angeles

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It is a shame that Bush cannot show the same compassion for our service members who are dying daily in Iraq as he does for the fetuses involved in late-term abortions (Nov. 6). I guess the killing of young adults falls into the “these things happen in war” category, and therefore they are expendable. Human life is human life regardless of age and occupation. Bush just hit a new low in hypocrisy.

Charles Jones

Calabasas

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Bush may have “soft-pedaled” on this issue, but he is right in signing a bill banning “partial-birth” abortions. This type of abortion is the most hideously violent method of terminating a pregnancy that I, as a lay person, can imagine. Just the idea of opening a baby’s skull and sucking its brains out is enough to turn one’s stomach, regardless of how completion of the birthing process would affect the mother. I’m not against abortion, just this diabolical method.

Gregg M. Shives

Alhambra

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Bush is quoted as saying: “Every person, however frail or vulnerable, has a place and a purpose in this world.” For Dubya they certainly do: cannon fodder for his personal little war. Goodness knows that when these babies grow up there will be no clean water for them to drink or much parkland to see or natural habitat left to wander through. Way to go, Dubya. You’re all heart.

P.S. I am not pro-abortion.

Therese H.E. Whitney

Sherman Oaks