Mission 'democracy' is mission hypocrisy

The world economy heaved a sigh of relief. White House welcomed it as a step forward. US President Barack Obama could claim that he saved Americans from imminent disaster, even if it was at the last minute. Democrats (in majority in the Senate), despite their grumbling and frustration, could claim to have got their way. And Republicans ("ruling" the House of Representatives) could jolly well pat each other on the back. We are talking about US Congress passing the historic deal on debt and spending cuts, which ended the threat of a grave financial crisis in America and beyond.

But, to put it plainly, it was nothing less than "abject surrender" by President Obama to the Republicans, for he agreed to cut $2.1 trillion in expenditure on programs for the poor without succeeding in imposing higher taxes on the rich.

Those who said Obama would not agree to the "harsh" terms of the Republicans - cutting expenditure on social security without imposing higher taxes on the rich - had to eat crow. It was hardly surprising, though, what happened in Congress. That is the way of American politics. The US, on a mission to spread "democracy" to the farthest corners of the world, long ceased to be governed by democracy itself. The "land of plenty" is now for those who already have plentiful.