Tinkering With 'Democracy'

President Bush says that General Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf "truly is somebody who believes in democracy." Perhaps he does; he just doesn't practice it. His declaration of martial law and his war on the opposition does not demonstrate that belief, but as Ralph DeMarco points out, perhaps that makes the perfect partner for this administration:

Of course, Musharraf is not the first leader whose rhetoric does not match his record, especially on fighting extremists. But, you see, the war on terror demands that today's rule of law and democracy be suspended in order to preserve the rule of law and democracy in the future (I'll bet you anything that Cheney is sitting back toasting Pervez with a glass of 30 year old Scotch every night after dinner).

Musharraf is full of contradictions. During his rule the Pakistani press has opened up and more voices are being heard. At the same time he has cracked down on the press when it suits his interests. Now it seems that some of the outside pressures have pushed Musharraf to release 3,400 detained since martial law was imposed. Let's hope that he steps down before the scheduled elections and restores the constitutional government in Pakistan. The moderates are the only ones who can save Pakistan, and they have lost all faith in Musharraf.

Ralph also reminded me that one of my personal heroes, Mukhtaran Bibi, faced up to Musharraf and his bullies. Perhaps she's the best symbol for the troubled nuclear nation.

Comments

[Jack Morris]

If any national leader is currently in a more difficult place than Musharraf today, please point him/her out. I hope that when he is gone the West won't be facing a much worse leadership than him - and I am thinking about the controls on Pakistan's nuke capability and the old corruption of the recent past. The next leader there will not be in any better position to push democracy and equality than him and the next leader is not likely to have the support of the army, either - and the army is everything for a politician in Pakistan.