The Tyrant-friendly EU

Václav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic, observes that sanctimonious lip-servicer of human-rights, the EU, is practicing appeasement:

I vividly remember the slightly ludicrous, slightly risqué and somewhat distressing predicament in which Western diplomats in Prague found themselves during the Cold War. They regularly needed to resolve the delicate issue of whether to invite to their embassy celebrations various Charter 77 signatories, human-rights activists, critics of the communist regime, displaced politicians, or even banned writers, scholars and journalists -- people with whom the diplomats were generally friends.

Sometimes we dissidents were not invited, but received an apology, and sometimes we were invited, but did not accept the invitation so as not to complicate the lives of our courageous diplomat friends. …

`Dissidents or trade'

This all happened when the Iron Curtain divided Europe -- and the world -- into opposing camps. Western diplomats had their countries' economic interests to consider, but, unlike the Soviet side, they took seriously the idea of ''dissidents or trade.'' I cannot recall any occasion at that time when the West or any of its organizations (NATO, the European Community, etc.) issued some public appeal, recommendation or edict stating that some specific group of independently minded people -- however defined -- were not to be invited to diplomatic parties, celebrations or receptions.

But today this is happening. One of the strongest and most powerful democratic institutions in the world -- the European Union -- has no qualms in making a public promise to the Cuban dictatorship that it will re-institute diplomatic Apartheid. The EU's embassies in Havana will now craft their guest lists in accordance with the Cuban government's wishes. The shortsightedness of socialist Prime Minister José Zapatero of Spain has prevailed.

José Zapatero, you may recall, is the Spain’s socialist Neville Chamberlain who ran on a platform of bugging out in Iraq. He was opposed by, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who was a steadfast ally of the U.S.

Al Qaeda pulled their man, José Zapatero, to victory by bombing a Spanish commuter train a few days before the March 2004 election. Zapatero won and to Spain’s everlasting shame, capitulated in the war with al Qaeda by removing Spain’s soldiers from Iraq.

I can hardly think of a better way for the EU to dishonor the noble ideals of freedom, equality and human rights that the Union espouses -- indeed, principles that it reiterates in its constitutional agreement. To protect European corporations' profits from their Havana hotels, the Union will cease inviting open-minded people to EU embassies, and we will deduce who they are from the expression on the face of the dictator and his associates. It is hard to imagine a more shameful deal.

In my view, old Europe has already stained her honor. The EU’s actions are not a matter of supine acquiescence but instead are their technique. The EU countries are violating any actual principles since they never gave a damn about such things anyway.

During the 1990’s they couldn’t be bothered to halt an ongoing genocide occurring within Europe. Just think about this outrage: the Europeans were so unconcerned with the genocide conducted by Milosevic against fellow modern-day Europeans—in Europe, at that—that none of them could bother themselves to stop him.

Now mind you, the Europeans aren’t helpless; many European countries are members of NATO, have militaries with sufficient troops and equipment to service Milosevic.

Now why would anyone expect this bunch selfish moral midgets—who were willing to sit while Milosevic exterminated their fellow Europeans—to be willing to inconvenience themselves over Castro—who is just running measly tyranny over a few million Cubans of European decent? I don’t. In fact, I’d be surprised if they’d miss this opportunity.

[…].

Today, the EU is dancing to Fidel Castro's tune. … tomorrow it could bid for contracts to build missile bases on the coast of the People's Republic of China. The following day it could allow its decisions on Chechnya to be dictated by Russian President Vladimir Putin's advisors. Then, for some unknown reason, it could make its assistance to Africa conditional on fraternal ties with the worst African dictators.

Where will it end? The release of Milosevic? Denying a visa to Russian human-rights activist Sergey Kovalyov? An apology to Saddam Hussein? The opening of peace talks with al Qaeda?[emphasis mine—johnh]

For that matter, I’m expecting France to propose exchanging ambassadors with al Qaeda any day now.

It is suicidal for the EU to draw on Europe's worst political traditions, the common denominator of which is the idea that evil must be appeased and that the best way to achieve peace is through indifference to the freedom of others.[emphasis mine—johnh]

If that behavior suicidal then they have been committing suicide for years now.

Remember this, gentle readers, the next time you hear some sanctimonious Euro-weenie complain about the U.S. not meeting their lofty human-rights standards. Their human-rights rhetoric is only for show. It is attire for preening about on the world stage, not for governing their conduct.