If they had a reality show for international politicians called "Biggest Loser" the most popular nominee for the title would be Mikhail Gorbachev, the man that lost his whole country, not merely an election. Yet, every once in a while and for some untenable reason, this communist loser is trotted out by the US media as some sort of expert on international politics. Unsurprisingly, his opinion is always sought to act as an attack on a Republican politician or policy. This time it is the All Headline News service trotting out old spotty in order to wag a finger at GOP presidential candidate John McCain.
Back on March 18th, McCain reiterated his idea of creating a new international organization styled as a "League of Democracies." McCain imagines this organization as a chance to renew the commitment of the world's democratic nations to the concept of helping others grow as well as lending more support to those already so formed.
Americans and Europeans share a common goal – to build an enduring peace based on freedom. Our democracies today are strong and vibrant. Together we can tackle the diverse challenges we face, whether radical religious fanatics who use terror as their weapon of choice, the disturbing turn towards autocracy in Russia or the looming threats of climate change and the degradation of our planet.
But the key word is “together”. We need to renew and revitalise our democratic solidarity. We need to strengthen our transatlantic alliance as the core of a new global compact – a League of Democracies – that can harness the great power of the more than 100 democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests.
Well, whether you think it feasible or not for all the democratic nations to get together to form a new United Nationsesque organization, the idea has some merit. After all, the entire reason the UN does not work -- and never did or even could work -- is because those nations that stand four-square against freedom and liberty have as much say in policy as those who wish to further the advancement of human freedom. The UN is a joke that we should never have bothered with.
So, the merits of McCain's plan aside, there is much debate that could be had over the idea. But who does the media trot out to join that debate but Mikhail Gorbachev, a has been who's only claim to fame was seeing a 75-year-old regime crumble under his inept "leadership." Worse, it was a regime that was responsible for the murder of 40 million or more human beings. And still worse, it was Gorbachev that was trying to prop up the regime that killed 40 million human beings!
Why this man's opinion is still sought out after all these years is unfathomable.
Unfathomable, of course, until you realize that Gorby's constant attacks against American Republicans and conservatives is the sole reason the U.S. media are interested in him.
Gorbachev's criticism this time is to claim that McCain should be looking to ways to strengthen the UN not create a new version consisting of democratic nations.
"Great powers set an example to the world and must give a chance to the United Nations to develop a new global system," Gorbachev said. "We must not, instead of the United Nations, propose NATO or some kind of a coalition of democratic countries, as suggested by Sen. McCain. I think that to replace the U.N. with that kind of an organization would be wrong."
Give the UN a "chance to develop"? What is 66 years? The UN has made no meaningful headway in over six decades yet Gorbachev imagines we haven't given the UN a "chance"? THIS is substantive commentary? What poppycock.
Yet, here we go again, seeing Gorbachev trotted out as some sort of expert by the U.S. media. And why? Only because he attacks a Republican, not because his opinions have any merit whatsoever.
One wonders how many people you have to have murdered to fall out of the U.S. Media's favor? So far, the Soviets are up to 40 million and the U.S. media are still ga-ga over them. The Chinese surpassed that a while ago and still find kind words in the western media establishment.
But, remember... it is Republicans that are truly evil!
(Photo credit: Chinadaily.com)