David Aaronovitch on Global Democracy and the Left

[PurpleHoneyBear]

The US tried to stop Democracy from spreading to Iraq. The Bush Administration kicked and screamed in an attempt to avoid anything resembling a democracy. They just sold it as spreading democracy. That's good PR, nothing more.

[LucaEnzo]

@PurpleHoneyBear

Should the western world not intervene to topple dictatorships and enable that country to hold its own elections?

[GriefTourist]

watch and learn folks, a skilled liar at work

[cott2696]

@GriefTourist how is he lying?

[LucaEnzo]

@GriefTourist

Disagree if you will but to say he is a liar is a disservice to yourself.

[Elcristoph]

@GriefTourist Im guessing your one of the so called left that goes out of its way to suport facism..

[GriefTourist]

@Elcristoph

fascism these days is 'anything the zionazis don't like'

[Elcristoph]

@GriefTourist ok, thats either a protest about isreal expanding into the west bank in which case I agree its a problem.. OR your just being racist and anti semitic, the warning sign to facist leanings usualy starts with crys if a jewish conspiricy..

[RadiclCntrarian]

Hugo Chavez has done nothing whatsoever to democracy in Venezuela. He has, in fact, advanced the cause of democracy. This is the reason why 1 he was the victim of an American-activated coup in 2002 and 2 is despised amongst Western elites. The notion that you can hear nothing of Venezuela's apparent dissent into dictatorship is absurd. The Independent continues to publish stories on this very subject. Not to mention D. Hannan who wrote of the entire continent descending into dictatorship.

[1982CFD]

"Hugo Chavez is bent on destroying liberal democracy in Venezuela." What liberal democracy in Venezuela? Liberal democracy didn't exist in Venezuela in the years preceding Chavez coming to power. Aaronovitch is such a twat.

[trailofdeadpeople]

Great speech by the Aaronovitch.

[statewithinastateuk]

I am afraid I am now a pessimist. Being a former neo-con and been let down by Iraq etc, I believe that we should just leave other countries outside the West alone. I don't believe Muslims will ever share our democratic values even as secular Islam is fading out.

[trailofdeadpeople]

@statewithinastateuk well that's a not just a bit narrow minded... its utterly false. Within almost all Islamic countries there are democratic movements which we should have solidarity with (the point he's making) no matter how big or small.

Muslims DO already share our western values - they just get less airtime on our pathetic news channels because... well.... it doesn't make a particularly good story. Sounds like you've gone from a neo-con to an old school tory.

[joachim1987]

Dave you really are the 3rd biggest idiot in British journalism, right after Littlejohn and Cohen.

[myroseaccount]

I detest this man!

[KingCogidubnus]

GET BACK IN THE OVEN, JEWBOY

[MancSeanUK]

@KingCogidubnus Cunt!

[trailofdeadpeople]

@KingCogidubnus ......re:Pessimism... you silly twat.

[45erwx7]

He makes a good point that democracy is essential to social change.

[chowmein911]

"for whatever reason" ???

perhaps because their family was killed in a US air strike!!

[BeholdZeus]

He look's quite like Jeremy Beadle: perhaps a marginally more attractive Jeremy Beadle. A hack in every sense of the word.

[yanikfrequencist]

Pilger not Aaronovitch

[yanikfrequencist]

David, do you listen to the s*** that comes out of your mouth?

You were born 500 years too late, you are making evolution harder for mankind. Well done u d***

[mikey174]

Aaronovitch, writer of such classic articles as "They have weapons of mass destruction" and " I can't wait to get my ID card" the man's either a

government puppet or a fucking idiot.

[DrunkAtheist]

Why don't you respond to something he actually says in the video?

[envsh03]

David Aaronovitch is a Racist!

[munkeyzombie]

after hearning Aaronovitch boldly claim that there was no need for a 7/7 inquiry as all the facts are known, i spent the morning reading a number of his articles and columns. the man is a one man propaganda machine, MI5 agenda anyone??? monthly tax free payments and undeserved awards await you David.

[SimonHHH]

The Chavez smear gives the game away David - you're an apologist for the right - democratic or otherwise.

[joachim1987]

Lets go through all the lying of Aaronovich

Democratc states have delcared war on each other UK and Finland in 1939

Hugo Chavez has won 10 elections in 10 years, Venezuela did not have a democratic tradtion before chavez who lost a referendum and stud by the result.

There was never any intention of bringing democracy to Iraq they only had an election because the Iraqis demanded it and the UK/US candidate got 14% of the vote.

[BeholdZeus]

How dare he say that Hugo Chavez is trying to destroy the notion of liberal democracy in Venezeula; what a toffee-nosed comment to make. If anything Chavez is trying to give more to the poor and, since being in power, the rich have also gotten richer. If Chavez is removed those in the barrios will go back to mind-numbing poverty. What Aaronovitch dosen't talk about is the alternatve to Chavez's largely fruitful rule. I'm sure Pilger would be greatly ashamed by Aaronovitch's position.

[BeholdZeus]

And the irony of his winning the George Orwell prize is all the more hilarious!

[littlegreymen]

David Aaronovitch is an asset to the Left.

[BeholdZeus]

Well, he has been poor when it comes to reporting on the Iraqi conflict. Pre-invasion, he mentioned nothing of the 300.000 people that died under sanctions, and post-invasion he has yet to mentioned that 656,000 people have been killed (figures taken from the Lancet and the John Hopkins Health Foundation respectively). This must what be meant by the price of democracy.

[BeholdZeus]

My apologies, that should be 300,000. Instead Aaronvitch concentrated on the glorious battle-cry of the Blairite govenment. He also mentioned nothing of Dennis Halliday's resignation from the UN Oil For Food Programme (he resigned calling British and American policy genocidal), and the resignation of Scott Rritter who concluded that between 90-95 percent of all WMDs had been disposed of: what remained was an unusable and incapable of being used as a munition or weapon of any sort.

[westphalianprinz]

I'm not 100 percent in agreement with Mr. Aaronovitch, except that I do agree that we on the left should stand for true democracy--true democracy-- everywhere.

[peterryard]

Aaronovitch is bringing sexy back