Regime change? The essay
With its pro-West stance and its commitment to the free market, The Freedom Institute is a rapidly growing and increasingly influential body of businesspeople, policy makers, academics, journalists and students based in Ireland. It is currently holding an essay competition and those who'd like to enter are asked to study the following excerpt from the 2002 State of the Union speech by President George W. Bush, in which he singled out a group of rogue nations:
"States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger. They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States. In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic... And all nations should know: America will do what is necessary to ensure our nation's security".
Essay entrants are requested, in 1,000 words or less, to answer one of these questions:
1. Was the United States and its allies correct in enforcing regime change in Iraq and Afghanistan?
2. Should regime change be brought about in all undemocratic nations?
Up for it? Then, click along and get the necessary details. Good luck!
The directors of the Freedom Institute are Philip O'Sullivan, who works in the financial services industry in Dublin, Darren O'Brien, an Irish technology entrepreneur and Richard Waghorne, former University College Dublin Philosophy Society Auditor and member of the College Board.
Comments
Chucklesome stuff. What skills will people who can't even get the grammar right in posing their question bring to bear in the scrutiny of of the humble pen fruits of competing scribes? Not many, if the turgid, structureless offerings on their blog are anything to go by.
As a freedom hater, I can only say that I hate freedom.
Was the United States and its allies correct? Well, [i]was[/i] they?
Posted by: drcopernicus | March 10, 2005 7:47 PM
One wonders why Eamo isn't living back in leafy the suburbs of the Anglo-Saxon world of Oireland where the economy is 'booming' instead of whinging about 'loser' Germany all the time... Sorry Eamo, but I'd sooner be in a German hospital than an Irish one any day if need be, sooner be on a German Autobahn or in an ICE than trying to get anywhere in 'booming' Ireland. Back in the ould sod they may pay feck all tax just like in the US (where Eamo reckons the streets are paved with golf) but what do they get in return? Sure the Bertie gets his tax revenue via Alcohol and backy. No such thing as a cheap Weissbier from your off-license in Oreland. The country is living on a credit card and almost the most backward in Europe. It's nice to get back but also nice to get back to the airport and on that plance to FJS. Freedom Institute Me Arse! Gruß nach Neuhausen!
Posted by: Ted | March 10, 2005 10:36 PM
I wonder why the Freedom Institute does not label each post with the names of the author who wrote the post. I also wonder why the Freedom Institute's "about" page goes to a circular route in and out of Blogger stats.
Posted by: Bernie Goldbach | March 15, 2005 11:17 AM