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What is the difference between David Cameron and Tony Blair?

International

Very little! They both prefer to promote trade over human rights, jobs in the UK over protecting the lives of people in the developing world, sleeping with dictators and despots for money over democracy and rule of law, and blind support for Israeli Apartheid state over the basic rights of the Palestinian in their own land. They have such imbedded double standards that make what they preach a clear mockery of civilized standards. 

Yesterday, the Prime Minister of UK David Cameron responded to questions raised about his visit to Kazakhstan with the following words: “Why am I here in Kazakhstan on a Sunday? I’ll tell you why, we are in a global race for jobs and investment. This is one of the most rapidly emerging countries in the world. 

“I have over 30 businesses with me. We’re hoping to sign over £700m worth of deals. That means jobs back at home and also investment in this rapidly growing economy. That’s what this is about. But of course nothing is off the agenda, including human rights.”

You may be wondering what is wrong with Kazakhstan. The answer is simple, there is nothing wrong with the country but there is everything wrong with its President Nursultan Nazarbayev. He likes winning election with 95% of the votes and he has been its president for 20 years – two of the universal signs of a totalitarian dictator. The international human rights organisations and even the US state department have listed some of the abuses as follows: 

Severe limits on political freedoms and freedom of speech 
Press and media is heavily controlled and journalists freedom restricted
Widespread detainee and prisoner abuse 
Arbitrary arrest and detention of political opponents 
Lack of an independent judiciary including executive and political interference
Pervasive corruption from high offices of judges to low-level bureaucrats 
Discrimination and violence against women
Trafficking in persons
Heavily censored religious freedom especially close monitoring of the Muslim community

Mr Cameron and the western leaders are in the bed with the wrong person yet again. It seems these leaders have not learned from their earlier experiences with their ugly and unsavory bedfellows including Mubarak of Egypt, Saddam Hussain of Iraq, Ben Ali of Tunisia, Gaddafi of Libya and the rest of the despots in the Middle East. It is a pity that oil and gas speak louder than human rights! 

The Guradian reported today that Mr Nazarbayev brooks no dissent and muzzles media outlet that dare question the wisdom of his rule. The political oppositions have said that the current president has presided over 20 years of absolute power and corruption. “Dishonest elections have become the norm, opposition parties are not registered, independent media are shut down, and inconvenient politicians are convicted by tame courts and jailed”, says the opposition politician Amirzhan Kosanov. I am assuming Mr Cameron would have no problem in jailing his political opponents in the UK in the same style as his new Kazakh friend! 

Why is trade more important to Mr Cameron than human rights, rule of law and democracy? Why is it acceptable to turn a blind eye to these atrocious and odious dictators but at the same time lecture the rest of the world on human rights and democracy? Why is it OK for you to not practice what you preach but you readily demand everyone else’s compliance? 

A recent New York Times story claims Navarbayev's regime has been paying Washington, D.C., think tanks to issue glowing reports on the country that largely ignore its glaring shortcomings in political freedom and human rights, and it also claimed that the Nazarbayev regime has even been alleged to have made illegal payments to as-yet-unidentified members of Congress seeking to gain their favor.

The President of Kazakhstan has hired Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of UK as its highly paid spin-doctor who is responsible for advising the dictator on governance. With Mr Blair at the helm of Nazarbayev Presidential PR machine, his office is now feeling extremely safe and on top of the world. With his newfound friends in the UK Nazarbayev can feel reassured about all his past sins been forgiven and a favorable future as long as he keeps signing lucrative business deals for UK companies. 

I hate double standards of our politicians but I loath and abhor those who preach one thing but do the total opposite.

27729 views 1 comments Tony Blair David Cameron British politics British foreign policy 

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