While browsing the Drudge Report this morning, I found this article about Vladimir Putin and his exchange with President Bush about democracy in Russia. When the President questioned Putin about his repressing the Russian press, Putin questioned why Dan Rather and other CBS news staff were fired or otherwise removed from their positions. They just don't understand that, in the United States, the federal government does not exercise control over the press in the way seen in Russia. The CBS "Rathergate" issue was one handled in the private sector. It was CBS' management's decisions that led to the firing of some and the "retirement" of others.

While it is entirely probably that Putin orchestrated this incident in order to try to deflect criticism from himself and his handling of the Russian press, let's not forget recent Russian history. Russia has only been "free" for just over 10 years. For over 70 years, freedom had a completely different meaning. Social indoctrination, especially in the case of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, takes a long time to shake off. this is another reason why the United States should be particularly involved in spreading democracy. I think spreading democracy should be an important element of American foreign policy. A department could be established within the State Department to field requests from nations wishing assistance in implementing democratic reforms. Of course, we'd have to clean out the "special interests" in the State department first.

Whaddayathink? Am I babbling? Or should the U.S. become a beacon of and an instructor in liberty? Radical idea, huh?