A generous dose of democrUSAy – Bahrain bites

A generous dose of democrUSAy – Bahrain bites, Jordan judiciously declines

How different Obama’s response to Bahrain’s brutal massacre, compared to Egypt. Admittedly, he played swings and roundabouts with Egypt for a week or so, one day calling for dialogue, another for reform, with a couple of variations thrown in for good measure. He even went so far as to announce the change of regime a day before Mubarak actually stood down, exhibiting incredible psychic powers, if nothing else.

Bahrain’s brutal repression of peaceful protesters, by comparison, has not even warranted a speech. An unknown number of dead, hundreds injured, scores disappeared including women and children - a doctor trying to assist the injured beaten and left for dead – none of this is enough for a personal statement by Obama. Compare with his response Iran's comparatively moderate put-down only days earlier.

Even Billary only managed a few old saws, such as “deep concern” and “restraint” After all, they have to keep onside with the hosts of the biggest US military base in the region, home of the Fifth Fleet, protector of their access to the region's oil.

They sure as hell aren’t going to take the chance of letting a genuine democracy come into existence that would threaten all that. Like Iraq, Bahrain will be getting democrUSAy – as soon as they can figure out how to spin it. Reliable lapdog the UK is already on the job. Patrick Clanwilliam, UK parliamentary adviser on Bahrain, said on Al Jazeera while the bullets were still flying that the protesters are a trouble-making minority that the government has the right to “control” to protect national security – that 8 year old girl shot dead was clearly a huge threat.

Jordan, by contrast, appears to be one of the few countries in the region capable of actually listening to its people. The recent increase in protests and numbers of protesters in Amman has not attracted a Bahrain-style response, but the very opposite – on Monday the Interior Ministry recommended to Cabinet an amendment to the Public Gatherings Law that will liberalise, not restrict , the ability of the public to protest.

Electoral reform also made the agenda since Monday, along with a crackdown on corruption. Nagging employment issues have also been addressed, with some 284 day labourers forced out of the Ministry of Agriculture in August 2009 appointed to fill their previous posts on Sunday, but now as full-time employees. However several hundred in other ministries have yet to have their status resolved. Time will tell whether these good intentions are translated into reality, but unlike Bahrain, the signs are good.

Jordan’s head of state, His Majesty King Abdullah, met this week with the presidents of professional associations and the Islamic Action Front, committing to work “in one team” to push forward with reforms and “tackle national issues in full transparency and openness, through continuous dialogue,” reiterating his directive to the government to communicate with all citizens and segments of society.

King Abdullah, for one, does not appear prepared to repress his people to preserve the status quo, let alone slaughter them to protect US military and strategic interests.

Like other Jordanians, and unlike Bahrain, he can tell the difference between democracy and democrUSAy - not to mention hypocrUSAy.

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