Speaking truth to power is a powerful Quaker tradition. Power needs to hear the truth from time to time - to encourage peace, to prevent arrogance, to hear the populace. I was therefore pleased to read Paul Monk's views on speaking the truth to China. I have never understood why economic relationships are rarely used effectively to build institutional and political democracy - particularly with regard to human rights and the treatment of women and minority groups. One wonders why the relationship of Bush Sr and Jr and their friends - including the Saudi Arabian relatives of Osama Ben Laden - through the Carlyle Group, has not been used more effectively for political and social change in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps there might not have been the need for the mess that now prevails in Iraq.
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Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Speaking truth to power
Speaking truth to power is a powerful Quaker tradition. Power needs to hear the truth from time to time - to encourage peace, to prevent arrogance, to hear the populace. I was therefore pleased to read Paul Monk's views on speaking the truth to China. I have never understood why economic relationships are rarely used effectively to build institutional and political democracy - particularly with regard to human rights and the treatment of women and minority groups. One wonders why the relationship of Bush Sr and Jr and their friends - including the Saudi Arabian relatives of Osama Ben Laden - through the Carlyle Group, has not been used more effectively for political and social change in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps there might not have been the need for the mess that now prevails in Iraq.
