US President Joe Biden at the International democracy summit held virtually late last week vowed to bolster democracies around the world, calling for safeguarding rights and freedoms of people in an era of rising authoritarianism. Bangladesh was not invited for not being a democratic country. The summit was attended by more than 100 world’s democratic leaders. It aimed at countering the backsliding of democracy in the world as Biden has rightly said global freedoms were under threats by autocrats. We welcome Biden’s initiative who has rightly said the US can’t allow the retreat of democracy to continue unchecked. We would say Biden’s assertion has brought hope to the oppressed people who are ruled by gun power won over by corruption.
It is hypocrisy to deny human rights and defend the country as being democratic. The rise of Russia and as a great military power has emboldened the dictators in many countries of Asia and Africa. Arms race is good for communist countries where human rights have to be suppressed to keep their system of socialism going. Under such regimes the people have no right to choose government or question their luxurious style of life. These regimes are free to spend public money on weapons to treat people inhumanly. We are not blaming those who deal with the country as masters because that is their ideology. If humanity and human rights are to be protected then other democratic powers must get united under the US leadership. The US should not be keen about arms race with Russia and China. Instead the democratic world should be in race for establishing human rights to fight human miseries under gun rule. The country belongs to people and it is a shame that in modern days gun prevails over humanity. The people must elect their government to decide what is best for them.
It showed Biden is bringing the US back to global leadership to face authoritarian forces which gathered momentum in many places under his estranged predecessor Donald Trump. He has rightly said restoring democracy is the defining challenge of our time. Army is maintained for fighting external aggression. They are not to unite with dictators to fight their own people most ungratefully. Myanmar’s armed rulers do not think there is a world outside to stop their brutality against their own people. Throw them out of the country to be refugees in other countries.
If human rights have to prevail for justice and human dignity the US has all the capabilities to ensure democracy where democracy is molested by gun rule fear. Arms business with dictators must be stopped. The human world will be for humanity. All dictators are corrupt and help corruption for suppression of people. Their illegal money are kept abroad and such accounts must be frozen. It is also true that without direct or indirect cooperation of the US many dictators will flee the countries. The anger of the people will explode.
Democracy and the rule of law is the best way to fight against Russian and Chinese system. The competition of weapons must go. War among powers will be self-annihilation. Let us fight for humanity where Russia or China cannot win.
