The Free Freely Freed To Have Freedom

OK, I’m going to shock you all. I thought President Bush’s speech in the Mongolian Parliament was remarkably good, and kudos to whoever wrote it.

I found only a couple of sour notes. One was just stylistic – the overuse of every single permutation of the words “free” and “freedom”. The other was the excessive focus on military activity, including Bush’s announcement of an $11 million donation to Mongolia for the purpose of helping improve its military in their desired role as rapid-response peacekeepers. I wish the initiative was aimed more at broadening the education of the 50% of Mongolia’s population who are under 25, and cultural exchange. What do all of you think? And what do you think of the comparisons outlined in this paragraph:

“In Iraq, the advance of freedom is opposed by determined adversaries, the followers of a murderous ideology, who exploit the religion of Islam to serve a violent political vision. They kill the innocent in pursuit of a totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedom. Like the ideology of communism, the ideology of Islamic radicalism is led by a self-appointed vanguard that presumes to speak for the masses. Like the ideology of communism, Islamic radicalism teaches the innocent can be murdered to serve their brutal aims. Like the ideology of communism, Islamic radicalism is dismissive of free peoples, claiming that men and women who live in liberty are weak and decadent. And like the ideology of communism, the ideology of Islamic radicalism is destined to fall because the will to power is no match for the universal desire to live in liberty.”

Bush and Mongolian president Nambaryn Enkhbayar also released a joint statement. This was more far-reaching and a deeper expression of Mongolia’s common interests with a powerful ally like the United States. I honestly don’t know if such statements are merely window dressing but the goals in general seem admirable. It does address the critical issues for Mongolia of poverty reduction and economic opportunity, education, and reining in of government corruption, referencing Mongolia's qualification for funds under the Millenium Challenge Account.

Mongolian Prime Minister Elbegdorj Tsakhia was also given space today on the Washington Post’s op-ed page which allowed for something almost none of the press coverage included – a Mongolian voice speaking about Mongolia. Actually, as I write that, I’m realizing that really no one mentioned whether President Enkhbayar or Prime Minister Elbegdorj made statements or what they had to say. Anyway, the Prime Minister’s mention of military alliances was limited to one short paragraph. In fact, he says explicitly, “The national security of our landlocked country has less to do with military power than with economic growth.” I find that a welcome sentiment.

The rest of the visit was ceremonial – khoomis singers, dancers, and Bush having to taste airag, the mare’s milk that should be well-fermented by now. No mention of whether he noshed on buuz. If not, the visit has to be counted as something of a failure.

More round-up and thoughts at Mongolian Matters, as well as video at the-reflector.

Update: I forgot to mention that on CNN's site, they ran a poll asking, "Is U.S. President Bush's visit to Mongolia purely a symbolic gesture?" When I checked in, 80% of respondents had said "yes". What do you think? I'd really like to hear from some people in Mongolia.

Finally, there was no mention of the earlier student protests (I’ll check the two Mongolian English papers when they go online mid-week) and, since this is the free-wheeling internet after all, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point you to a satire of the visit. The writing’s so-so, and the last photo downright icky, but Bush done up as a Mongol warrior made me laugh.

Update 2: Hmm. I just checked in with the Mongol Messenger and now I wonder if those student protests had anything to do with Bush's visit. Can anyone in Mongolia shed some light on this? :

Rowdy student protest On November 17 the Mongolian Student Union told a press conference that as it was World Student Day, they were submitting a petition to parliament, government and administrations of universities and institutes. Union Deputy Presidents B. Batsaikhan and M. Gerelt-Od called for a law on student rights, and increase in the budget for tuition grants, loans, concessions and scholarships. They also called for rescinding of the student-related provisions in government’s 233rd resolution and reinstatement of tuition grants for 604 students. They said that they had already asked for 7,400 students to receive tuition grants and loans, a demand which had been rejected because there was no budget allocation. Their demands included maintenance of the present concessional student bus fare; transport allowances for students from rural areas; and reinstatement of the practice of paying a single rail fare for those studying abroad.

And on another topic altogether, KPC has been honored with a photograph spread over two pages in the December issue of National Geographic, illustrating an article entitled “Buddha Rising”. The article explores the influence of Buddhism in America. Earlier this year, the photographer Steve McCurry, most famous for this indelible image of the Afghani girl in Peshawar, Pakistan, visited our little center in Sedona. He captured a hilarious shot of our monks and nuns conducting a business blessing at a local auto garage. For some reason, the image only appears in the print issue (which, I think, is not in shops just yet, only in subscribers’ mailboxes) and not in the narrated slide show on NatGeo’s site. Nevertheless, turn your sound on and check it out. It’s quite well done, as one would expect from them.

No posting again until Monday. This Wednesday I’ll be busy with temple activity for the Buddhist holiday of Lha Bab Duchen (The Buddha's Descent From The God Realms), and then I plan to enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend, as I hope all of you (Americans, anyway) will as well.

Comments

[Jim]

What I find most shocking is not that you found Bush's speech *remarkably good* but that you could actually listen to anything he says all the way through. You are a much more tolerant person than I am...

[Konchog]

Well, it helped that I just read the text. I didn't have access to the audio. I'm a fan of the well-crafted text, no matter where it comes from.

[Aarlene]

No kidding, you must be massively progressed in the tolerance department.
No buuz?? oh what a poser.
Of course he's in (sort of )recovery, perhaps when offered he thought they said booze?
I checked out the NG site. Amazing!
(my one big regret in this life is passing up a lifetime subscription for NG when I was a kid-instead I blew my summer earnings on ..what? I don't even remember)

[Mongol dude]

US president in my little-known, poor, irrelevant country. Sounds good, honestly. Although four hours is a wee bit on a short side.

First question – what was the rationale behind his visit? Well, our participation in the Iraqi mess obviously, Rummy’s horse, it is more-or-less on the way back, what else? Not much really (obviously, one could get cynical and go into generating much-needed neutral to mildly-positive headlines, escaping domestic problems, etc). But, of course, actions based on solid rationale are not the hallmark of this president. Most likely, he just decided on a whim, over casual dinner conversation with Laura. So to answer the CNN question – I’d have to choose “symbolic”, the qualifier being “from the US perspective”.

Now so from the Mongol perspective. I’m afraid the visit carries more substance here. And this asymmetry is nothing unusual. What are the short-term and long-term effects? Some of my thoughts:

This Iraqi mess worries me. I mean how much is a Mongol soldier’s life worth? The 11 million in military assistance amounts to about $20,000 per head, considering that 500 lads have rotated through that mess, risking their lives. Now, I don’t pretend to be able to correctly estimate the value of a Mongol soldier’s life, but to put it in perspective, let’s take AIG’s (a US insurance giant) internal estimates for a middle-class young American (based on such things as lifelong earning potential, average payout, prevailing interest rates, etc) which comes out at about $20 million. One thousandth. Now, at this rate, the $200 billion squandered so far in Iraq would commission an army of10 million.

Millennium Challenge seems like a noble idea (especially the donor knowledge and audit aspect of it, to prevent corruption). But since Bush (a supposed conservative) has been spending taxpayers’ dollars like a drunken sailor (at the same time giving tax cuts to the rich - dividends, estate, etc) since he came to office, the ballooning fiscal deficit (which is projected at $5 trillion for the next 10 years) might tie the hands of the Congress. Already, they are cutting lots of social programs in US itself, such as assistance for day-care, education for “underpriviledged”, etc, so I’m rather skeptical on any substantial future financial aid.

Also, I didn’t like Bush’s “fearless warriors” hyperbole, designed solely to stoke their ego. We Mongols are a funny bunch, especially prone to self-aggrandizement and impulsive ego-trips, so this sort of incitement might go a long way. It might actually convince them of their importance and relevance and make them lose objectivity. Well, I hope not.

So, the short-term effect seems rather limited. Long-term, there are several questions. Would Mongolia be detached from the China desk at the State and Defense departments and be dealt more directly as it should? What about policy continuity post-2008? (given the fickleness of politics). Would it help deter a potential Chinese invasion? Augment Mongolia’s role in regional politics (involving North Korea perhaps)? What effect, if any, would these 15 min of fame have on tourism, foreign direct investment and government corruption? I can only guess.

[Christian]

The French national newpaper "Liberation" mentioned that there is a "political adviser" (conseiller politique) from the USA detached to the Mongolian PM office. Anybody can confirm? And, if accurate news, is it a news? What does it means?

[Mongol dude]

Just read "Buddha Rising", it’s a nice article with great pictures. So sales hit a new high? Impressive! :)

I liked its global coverage and the comparison of Buddhism to clear water. Does it still retain its adaptiveness? What is color of the vase in this new age?

Also, I liked its emphasis on social engagement, which was mentioned several times, along with corroborating evidence. It’s something that the Christian traditions excel at and present a model to follow, with orphanages, old-age homes, assistance to the poor, etc. Broadly defined to include social works, environmental protection, etc, it just might be THE color...

It ought to be translated and disseminated in Mongolia, for our impressionable youth longing for all things Western.