"You, Mr. President, are a dissident among the leaders of the free world"

Tiny concurs with Natan Sharansky that a free society -- a society where cats feel safe to argue and dissent -- will always be a stable society.

"I'm reading [your book] because the president is reading it, and it's my job to know what the president is thinking," Condoleeza Rice explained to Natan Sharansky during the former Soviet dissident's recent visit to the White House, reports NRO's Joel C. Rosenberg in "Two Great Dissidents: Natan Sharansky’s vision, and President Bush’s" [via The Pink Flamingo Bar & Grill]:

A close friend of the president had sent over a copy several weeks earlier with a note urging him to take a close look. The president nearly polished it off during a weekend at Camp David, then suggested to Rice that she read it as well.

For nearly 40 minutes, Rice engaged Sharansky -- now an Israeli cabinet member -- and co-author Ron Dermer, a former columnist with the Jerusalem Post, in a discussion over how best to help democracy take root in such hard soils as Iraq, Iran, and the West Bank and Gaza.

At precisely 2 P.M., Sharansky and Dermer were ushered into the Oval Office for a private meeting with the president. They were scheduled for 45 minutes. They stayed for more than an hour. What the president told Sharansky was off the record. What Sharansky told the president was not.

"I told the president, 'In spite of all the polls warning you that talking about spreading democracy in the Middle East might be a losing issue -- despite all the critics and the resistance you faced -- you kept talking about the importance of free societies and free elections. You kept explaining that democracy is for everybody. You kept saying that only democracy will truly pave the way to peace and security. You, Mr. President, are a dissident among the leaders of the free world.'"

"When given a real opportunity to choose between living in a free society or a fear society, the vast majority of people will choose a free society. And a free society -- a society where people feel safe to argue and dissent -- will always be a stable society."

We happened to catch Mr. Sharansky on C-Span a couple of weeks back and were totally smitten with his clear eye and warm heart. We blogged about his fear-society-vs-free-society worldview here and here the other day and ordered his book from Amazon yesterday for some lucky person on our list -- probably will give pride of place to Goomp, who will then pass it along to other interested parties. 'Hope it gets here in time for us to read it ourselves first, as our mother always did with all the fun and funny books she gifted her family with over the years.

Comments

[acjgoomp]

May the vision of our dissident President lead the world. Already we have segments of our judiciary that would alter our Constitution to enforce their alternate vision upon us.

[Pierre]

Thanks very much for the link. It is especially kind considering what a lazy ass I have been lately. hehe

Pierre Legrand
Pink Flamingo Bar & Grill

[Sissy Willis]

Whatever works. :)