When did Human Rights lose importance?

Since I've been on the Human Rights schtick lately, I began wondering when it was that promoting democracy lost the principle of human rights.

In an article from the LA Times, Sonni Efron informs us that Bush has 'made good' on his promise to promote 'democracy around the world'.

By publicly prodding Russian President Vladimir V. Putin to respect political liberties and a free press, President Bush made good Thursday on his inaugural vow to push for democracy around the world.

Oh come on!!! I imagine the conversation went something like this:

Bush: yeah, and err that democracy thing. You remember that, right? Condi told me that people are complaining about how you're running things. It's just a rumor, right?

Putin: Blasphamous rumors.

Bush: That's what I said. I don't trust the media either, but you know, we should..uhh.. pretend, a little.

Putin: Of course.

Bush: Good. Look world, I've made good on my promise.

And what constitutes 'prodding' in this sense anyway? Did he jab him with his elbow in a "democratize now dammit" kind of way or poke him with an index finger on his back while whispering something about democracy and the media?

Anyway, my real intention for today's post was to update anyone reading on the Libyan human rights situation. A couple of posts ago, I mentioned a man named Fathi El-Jahmi, yet another prisoner of consciencience in prison in Libya. He's one of the ones that Qadhafi claims isn't there... or has no conscience (we haven't fully deciphered the statement yet). El-Jahmi's case, as I understand it, was that he was making public calls for democratizing Libya and communicating with foreign media by cell phone. First, they cut off all his phone connections. One day, his entire family disappeared. He, along with his wife and son, had been taken into custody. Eventually, the wife and son were released. El-Jahmi should be so fortunate.

El-Jahmi was also mentioned by the LA Times article, albeit way down at the very bottom. Thanks Efron.

Administration officials say they have only begun to grapple with the specifics of how and where to try to turn Bush's principled rhetoric into a credible foreign policy ... Regarding Libya, State Department's spokesman Boucher urged the government to free dissident Fathi el-Jahmi (photo), who has been in prison for 10 months without charges. The call came even though the Bush administration acknowledges its top priority with Libya is to ensure the country's continued cooperation on dismantling its nuclear program. [Los Angeles Times]

but taken from here on a Feb.25th posting.

Good luck with the credible foreign policy boys if your primary concern is dismantling what I refer to as a high school chemistry lab. Yeah, it was a real threat. Read my Sept.20th post if you want to know more about what I think on the whole WMD tip.

For those unfamiliar with the Q-man's rhetoric, here's a sample. These are the last of 10 Questions For Muammar Gaddafi asked by Scott Macleod and Amany Radwan (don't know who they are actually):

Q:Given foreign and local skepticism, is Libya Really reforming itself?

A:About the economy, quite possible. We have begun to apply the Green Book. It's what we call popular socialism and what Thatcher calls popular capitalism. Elections? What for? We have surpassed that stage you are presently in. All the people are in power now. Do you want them to regress and elect somebody to replace them?

Q:What do Libyans tell you?

A:If you put them in paradise, they will still complain. [Laughs.] Libyans are in paradise.

I chose these questions because they stood out to me as the most aggregiously offensive to us Libyans. "All the people are in power?" Uh-huh. Maybe I'm just missing something (like a pathological neurosis).

Then again.. isn't there that saying about too many cooks in the kitchen? Maybe we do want to regress and elect our own replacement. Hell, I think it's worth a shot.

And Libya as paradise? No comment. (f*%#ing f%#&)