Honoring Gandhi - the height of cynicism

(thanks to peter daou and news unfiltered...)

Peace Action today denounced the plan for President George Bush to lay a memorial wreath in honor of Mohandas K. Gandhi when visiting India next week. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley announced the plan at a White House press briefing yesterday.

"Mahatma Gandhi was a man of non-violence and peace, and is a hero to people all over the world. As his war-strewn presidency shows, George Bush knows nothing about non-violence. Gandhi would in no way condone his actions. Bush should reconsider this cynical, disrespectful display of symbolism," said Kevin Martin, executive director of Peace Action.

The plan for Bush to "honor" Gandhi is even more astonishing given one of the main purposes of Bush's trip -- to cement a deal for U.S. nuclear aid to India, which would violate current U.S. non-proliferation law and has drawn criticism from a host of peace, disarmament and non-proliferation groups. The deal will also be a tough sell to a skeptical Congress, which would need to amend U.S. law to create a "loophole" to give nuclear technology to India because of its nuclear weapons arsenal.

"george bush knows nothing about non-violence..." true enough... but what he DOES know about is keeping up appearances, mouthing empty phrases and making misleading symbolic gestures... after all, look at the many years of practice he's had... the chances bush would reconsider...? slim, fat and none...

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