‘Sweet Chaos’ in Hawaii
Hawaii has the worst rates of voter participation in all the 50 states. Democratic caucuses there normally draw fewer than 5,000 people.
But with this year’s race so tight, and a native son, Senator Barack Obama, in the race, Democratic Party officials braced for a record turnout. They printed 17,000 ballots for their “preference poll” of party members.
How many votes were cast? More than 37,000. It was a day of crush and chaos, of long lines of new voters overwhelming polling places, of volunteers improvising ballots and attendance sheets with notebook paper and having to abandon nitty-gritty party business, like electing precinct officers, because too many people showed up. As expected, Mr. Obama won big over Senator Hillary Clinton.
— The New York Times (Feb. 20)
A chance for Cuba
If President George W. Bush wants to get the message of democracy across, he should loosen restrictions on cultural and academic exchanges and open the way for serious diplomatic contacts with Castro’s successors.
Bucking Miami’s politically powerful anti-Castro community won’t be easy — especially in an election year. If Bush cannot summon up such courage, we hope that the candidates vying to succeed him will make clear that they would change policy as soon as they reached the White House. Tuesday’s first round of statements showed little creativity or courage.
For millions of Cubans, the wait for Castro to go has been almost interminable. Now that he is finally stepping down, Washington needs to do all it can to help encourage a peaceful transition to democracy. It needs to shake off its own ghosts and start talking with Cuban politicians and the Cuban people.
— Intl. Herald Tribune (Feb. 20)
Pakistan speaks
India should look forward to the transition to a civilian regime, which could revive the spirit of the Lahore declaration that was signed between the two countries in 1999 when Nawaz Sharif was prime minister. That spirit of bonhomie, which augured well for the future, was rudely interrupted by the Kargil war. A full normalisation of ties between India and Pakistan can transform the subcontinent. Economic benefits would be immense if both sides could freely trade with and invest in each other.
Lifting of travel barriers would improve the psychological atmosphere between the countries and transform them from rivals to partners. Cooperation between India and Pakistan would help curb the twin scourges of the subcontinent, poverty and terror. There are big constituencies on both sides crying out for peace.
— The Times of India (Feb. 20)
Justice, the right way
Does anyone think that even U.S. friends in the world will believe that the six charged by the Pentagon last week with murder and war crimes for their alleged roles in the Sept. 11 attacks were justly tried? Consider:
• The prosecution is seeking the death penalty, a punishment that most countries prohibit. Joining the United States in not doing so are such beacons of freedom as China, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Sudan.
• The accused are detainees at a prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a site widely reviled around the world as epitomizing U.S. unfairness and hypocrisy.
• Officials already have disclosed that one of the accused was subjected to waterboarding.
• In the unlikely event the six are found not guilty, they probably won’t be set free.
— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Feb. 20)
02-21-2008
