Kuwait allows women to vote!

Originally Posted by Damien

Why is that whenever America has at least some good credit we, within minutes, condemn them for not doing it somewhere else

Well it could be their incredibly inept, inconsistent and self interested foreign policies in general. Kuwait is a strategic ally, as is Uzbekistan. Both do not have exacly the best human rights records. The Yanks choose their friends according to their usefulness rather than any kind of guiding moral principles which might make the world a better, safer place. And they inflicted Friends on us, the cruel b@stards.

EDIT: NB. As I understand it women activists have long been campaigning for the vote, in Kuwait so let's not be giving the Yanks too much credit anyway! But fair dos - they supported the reform. Now if they can just stop El Presidente recruiting and promoting his relatives within govt, get him to repeal the death penalty, free the remaining prisoners held since Gulf War One despite not having had fair trials.......

[BBKing]

El Presidente recruiting and promoting his relatives within govt, get him to repeal the death penalty, free the remaining prisoners held since Gulf War One despite not having had fair trials.......

Frighteningly, I thought you were talking about George Bush and sons rather than the Emir of Kuwait.

[punky]

Originally Posted by BBKing

which makes the point that spreading democracy and freedom US style

I am going to stick my neck out here, and assume you mean by the gun, i.e. Iraq. This situation is totally different. The US is reliant on several countries about for oil, so "putting pressure" on them to give women the vote, something which seemed almost inconvievable, wouldn't be in the US interests. I.e. the US is biting th hand that feeds here. It is the same with Saudi Arabia. Terrible coun try, yes, but liewise the US, even though it is heavily reliant on that country too, has put significant pressure on SA to reform into something a bit better.

You keep bring Uzbeckistan in this. This isn't a cop out, but this isn't really relevent. What sort-of is though, as we are on the subject of the evil imperialist AmericansÂÂÂà ‚® trying to spread democracy: I know virtually nothing about Uz, i'd admit, but what I do know from how the government is run, it does sound awfully communist to me. That hardly makes Uz the perfect ally for the US. By the by, if what you say is going on in Uz, actually is, (and i'd guess its largely true), then once again the UN is proving what a worthless heap of sh**e that is by seeming to let it go on.

Why does any piece of good news like this get dragged down by hate and abuse of the US.Pack it in...I'm sick of every political thread being targeted in this way with total irrelevancies.If you want to US bash then start your own thread about it.

The US ARE NOT responsible for everyone misbehaving politically.Politicians from all countries manage this all by themselves.

[BBKing]

You keep bring Uzbeckistan in this. This isn't a cop out, but this isn't really relevent

It's entirely relevant, considering that this thread is about the extension (or, actually, the potential start of) democracy in a country, which, it has been posited, was due to US pressure. Fine, I'm actually all in favour of spreading democracy by using diplomatic pressure, funding pro-democracy groups etc. (as happened in Ukraine).

I'm just rather perplexed at why the Kuwaiti development is considered so wonderful when policy in other areas of the world is the exact opposite. A bit of consistency wouldn't go amiss.

That hardly makes Uz the perfect ally for the US

Taken to another thread to avoid going OT.

Incog - if the US didn't keep doing dumb things, we wouldn't keep bashing it.

[punky]

Originally Posted by BBKing

I'm just rather perplexed at why the Kuwaiti development is considered so wonderful when policy in other areas of the world is the exact opposite. A bit of consistency wouldn't go amiss.

Well, its a start. Given this change was caused by diplomatic pressure from the US, and not from a gun, you can't expect Kuwait to suddenly stop dead, throw all its Islamic principles out the window and turn into the US or UK. The situation isn't perfect, but the new development shouldn't be undervalued. It would take a lot for a country like Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia to accept women voters.

I'd be interested to see the small print. For example, would their husbands/fathers have to sign off on the vote to say they agree? How many men in that position would? If they didn't agree then what would happen? Let's hope that it is free, fair, and anonymous for the women and no male influence is needed in it.

Originally Posted by BBKing

Incog - if the US didn't keep doing dumb things, we wouldn't keep bashing it.

Agreed but it's not relevant to every situation.