Peace In Our Time

Well I don’t know about you, but I am definitely feeling so much better about the idea of peace in the Middle East.  With a President that has been so correct on diagnosing and applying policy to critical questions that have faced our country, it is safe to say that President Bush knows exactly what he is talking about.

One may look to his many successes on the foreign policy front, and you must stare in awe at the keenness of his eye, and the sharpness of his intellect.  While so many others have failed to bring prestige across the globe for the United States, President Bush has truly shined.

With the United States military finding the arsenal of Biological and Chemical weapons bunker in Iraq, which had a total payload of 200 million tons, keeping these weapons from potential terrorist was indeed a huge success for this administration.

This is of course ignoring the great embrace that the Iraqi people have shown towards Coalition Military units.  Showering before them as they travel the streets of Baghdad  and through the country with flowers of praise and thanks.  The Iraqi people have truly embraced democracy, a fact shown by the professional way that the trial of Saddam Hussein was conducted, and the eventual outcome of his imprisonment for life, rather than the death penalty.

When combined with the capture trial and eventual execution of Osama Bin Laden, as well as 7 of his ten highest ranking members, the War in Afghanistan will truly go down in History as the most successful reprisal of terrorist actions.  Having been one of the most disadvantaged countries since the beginning of the Mongol Empire, the ability of Afghanistan to turn their backs on opium farming and build the foundation for a capitalistic democratic country that serves as an example to the world the power of personal worth.

These successes served as the tipping point to finally be able to normalize relations  with Iran, and be a driving force to bring the Islamic Republic on the world stage as a peaceful member of the global community.  Having concluded that nuclear energy is no longer necessary for their countries national defense, President Ahmenijihad has canceled the fledgling nuclear program and has desires to act as an emissary of Peace to the people of North Korea.

While the only snag has been the persistence of the North Korean government to only close down one of their nuclear facilities, signals have been sent by Kim Jung Il, that he is willing to participate in regional talks without limitations or restrictions.   Should this be the worst outcome that President Bush’s Administration faces, history will truly be able to place him in the conversation of one of the greatest Presidents this country has ever had.

Though the accomplishments do not stop there.  Through the unique friendship that exists between President Bush and out going President Putin, Russia has transformed itself into a truly democratic society that stands as a champion of the rule of law, economic transparity,  while being a calming influence of change upon Asia.

By that same token, Saudi Arabia has also embraced the unique position that they have by being at the epicenter of two of the three most important cities in the Islamic world.  thorough interfaith dialogues initiated by the President the Wahabi teachers have embraced a reformation of Islam that seeks to rid itself of the negative stereotypes and speak to the true essence of the Prophet Muhammad.

The places that have experienced the greatest change in the Political landscape because of this outcome have been of course, the peace agreement and nuclear disarmaments treaties that now exist between India and Pakistan, and the purpose of this post, Israel and Palestine.

This has been the Presidents first trip to the country of Israel, and he has had talks with the leaders of both the Palestinian Authority, as well as the Prime Minister of Israel.  Mr. Bush has proclaimed that he feels that a deal of peace may be struck within this his last year of his Presidency.

With the economy rolling along strong, and New Orleans back to its former glory is is little wonder that the House of Representatives introduced a Constitutional Amendment seeking to abolish the limits on the number of terms that a President may serve.  President Bush declined and spoke against this amendment of  course, by saying that, “One man, one Party, One President, can never be greater than the Whole of our Country, while today’s media seeks to praise me, it is truly the principles of our country that has made these successes possible.”

So when the elections in November comes around, the nation will surely morn the loss of one of its most influential leaders, and a truly golden era as our country has elevated itself to new heights of prosperity and prestige.   One may only hope that the tradition of this President may continue as the endorsed Candidate Mike Huckabee seems poised to lead us into the future.  A future where we will truly have Peace In Our Time.

Now Is The Time

There seems to be a cosmic rule that the top dog seems to get complacent, and it is at that moment that they seem vulnerable and someone takes a swing at them, pretty much thinking they will go down and stay down.

While sometimes this tactic leads to the utter destruction of those who initiated the combat, future generations become inspired to continue the tradition, that they will succeed where others failed, but more often than not, it serves to motivate that top dog to cement their place on top and to make sure nobody every tries to take a swipe at them again.

The attacks on Pearl Harbor is a definite example of rousing a nation, for it was the catalyst for the United States to eventually become the Superpower of Light and decency to protect human dignity against the Dark, vile and vodka exporting Soviet Union.

The attacks on New York and the Pentagon in 2001 are the example of a squandered opportunity, though my thoughts on the opportunistic, callous, and despicable hijacking of this national tragedy by the Republican party has been made clear in past articles.  My deep resentment of the conservative right cheapening these events is why I will not state the date of these attacks, as well as Giuliani uses the term enough for me, you and every other oxygen breathing biped on the planet.   Excluded from this populace is of course VP Cheney since he merely needs the blood of patriots and puppies to survive.

As were we the overconfident power in the World, so was the Police/Military within Pakistan.  Overconfident that they would not become a target of the terrorists that have near total control of the border lands of Pakistan and Afghanistan a feeling of invulnerability crept within the ranks.  Even with the assassination of Bhutto it was felt that surely the Military would not be a potential target.

That perception has changed drastically today.  Seeking to attack riot police protecting lawyers rallying that Musharraf is unfit for leadership and that they are ready for “true” democracy, a suicide bomber detonated and killed 23 Riot Police officers, while wounding 58 others.

It is human nature to ignore some problems until they become very large ones.  This would explain the Republicans rise to control the three branches of the federal government.  Who merely seem to gain power to use it so incompetently that it proves that government is inefficient, and thus weaken the institutions that the Founding Fathers created.

Concerning Pakistan it was to ignore the festering problem of the Taliban due to the unique nature of tribal loyalties and fears of pushing an entire ethnic group into the training grounds because of them.  Why risk the possibility of violence when one does not have to?  The attack today is the same as a declaration of war against the legitimate government of Pakistan.  With the first volley being launched perhaps now the military of Pakistan will step up and strike back at these cowards.

I hold reservations on the optimism of hope that this will end with a preferable outcome, because Musharraf may take a page out of the US play book, and merely provide lip service to show he intends to do something then invades India, linking them to the attacks then once embroiled in an ill fated idea deny that any links were made.

It is also possible that the military and police force is not the powerful machination that can impose the rule and will of its government.  It is a long tradition of Middle Eastern countries to maintain an incompetent military, so that it would not be able to stage a coup.  So it is entirely possible that I have mistaken the inaction of the Pakistani military as being sluggish when it is truly too weak to stand in blow to blow battle with the combined forces of the Taliban and Al Qaueda.

Whatever the case maybe, if we were to find out…Now Is The Time.

Bloodline Politics

It is well known that politicians can be opportunistic on current events in order to further their own agenda, we need only to look at the actions of the Republican party the last eight years to confirm these stereotypes.

When one is capitalizing on the death of one’s parent, it seems to reach a whole new level of wrong.  This is how the “election?”(if that can be the right word) of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the leader of the Pakistan People’s Party strikes me.

For months it seemed, and was “reported” by the major media outlets that the true desire of the Bhutto campaign was over democratic principles that Musharraf was wrongly curtailing because of imagined dangers to the stability of the country, and how much she truly cared about Pakistan.

With the party now being lead, ceremonially or not, by a 19 year old kid not even graduated from college yet, we have a glimpse of what the Bhutto campaign was really about - power.  Pure, simple, unadulterated, thirst for power.

The opportunity was seen with the country of Pakistan heading ever closer to chaos, and the unpopularity of Musharraf who was seen as doing too much of what the West wanted, and internationally not seen as doing enough.  So when he tried to relieve some of that pressure by letting back in a Prime Minister who was expelled (twice) on corruption charges, Bhutto seized the moment to push her own agenda.

Even when she knew that the people who disliked Musharraf for being too lenient would not exactly find the idea of a woman in charge particularly appealing she came anyway.  When asked to postpone so that safety protocols could be determined she insisted on going home immediately.

Even when a bomb went off at a rally early in her “triumphant” return, she still would go into the midst of the people, seemingly without care, that she was making it that much easier for those who wished to do her harm to get the opportunity to do so.

Then we have her “supposed” letters to friends to be released, “if she were to be killed” and putting the blame on Musharraf rather than the people who carried out the act.  This would be like a quarterback blaming the referees for a late hit rather than the linebacker who done it.

The party that presumably had the “best interests” of Pakistan by desiring to bring democracy to the unstable country seems to be merely use the rhetoric when it suits them and then carry on with their true agenda.  Dynasties are nothing new, and apparently people find solace in them.  What needs to be remembered is that competence and integrity need to matter as well, the experiences of the Bush Dynasty should be evidence of the dangers of Bloodline Politics.

Somebody Had To Say It

I wanted to have a nice long relaxing vacation, I wanted to try for myself the proposed foreign policy of President Huckabee, just you wait, of isolationism.

Then Pakistan had to go all Armageddon on me and everything became turned upside down.  Logic seemed to be gone and it was a terrible global tragedy that someone died while being stupid.  Bhutto supporters started tearing the country apart, apparently that is how Muslims react to every event, and media outlets told us how terrible this is.

Correct me if I am wrong, but we all saw this coming right?  Even when she was pardoned and was coming back to the country, the threats came out, the pleas came from Musharraf’s government to wait two weeks so that they can put a clamp down on things.  This was rejected by Bhutto, who felt that democracy would be her shield.

Then like our President she found out that Democracy doesn’t protect the stupid from making stupid decisions.  Democracy can only mean something if those practicing it have a respect for the rule of law and stability.  This is not a chicken or the egg statement, Democracy arises from stability, not the other way around.

People need realize this and take a brief look at history in order to acknowledge these truths that I speak.  We cannot expect to change thousands of years of depravity and violence by having a mantra of one man one vote.  It takes economic stability, the creation of a large and robust middle class, and one or more political parties to exploit that middle class by promising smaller government less taxes, “fiscal responsibility” while all the while trying to warp the Constitution and spitting on the Principle of Checks and Balances.

Let us remember the very extreme qualifications that were mandated to vote in our own newly founded republic.  Only landowning white males were able to cast their votes, which was kept in check by an electoral college for the President, and it was the State Legislatures that decided the members of the Senate.

For a more powerful, culturally diverse, morally questionable popular culture, Britney Spears was normal once, demanded that we provide all rights to all people, there would have been a backlash then as well.  So it is with the stringent followers of Muhammad.  Whereas in the West Suicide bombers are not the first last and most hailed method of showing ones displeasure.

This was what Bhutto represented to these small minded fearful and hate driven fanatics of a religion that keeps telling us it is peaceful.   Pakistan is a country that does not have control over its own borders, and mush like Saudi Arabia sees any help from outside powers as being seen as weak and vulnerable to a coup.

Therefore an unstable country with a domestically unpopular President, a military that would rather attack the Hindus of India, rather than their, “Muslim” brethren in the tribal lands.  We (were before Bush) one of the most economically stable, well respected, and morally conscience nations in thw world, and the prospect of a Woman as the head of our country still scares people.  Of course she would be a target for these wackos.

Thus we see that Bhutto, who it seemed wished to be a martyr for Pakistani Democracy, carried on with risky unguarded areas to overthrow a man who is no where near the true danger, or negative influence upon the country she supposedly loved so dearly.  For he followers, and her alleged letters blame Musharraf for the results of her behavior and poor judgment.

This leaves either two choices for the people of Pakistan to assume the mantle of leadership.  The Pakistani Army, which is still disliked and international reservations would about, especially with all the pressure exerted on Musharraf to give up his uniform.  Or the ones responsible for granting Bhutto her martyrdom, the Islamic Extremists.

What makes this so solidly important and extremely difficult to  excuse the stupidity of Bhutto and her followers actions is the fact that such a scenario would provide the very people who DID attack us on that fateful day in September, with the arsenal to do untold horrors.  Let me remind you it would be those same people protected by the Taliban, which Bhutto felt would bring stability to the region and allowed them to extend their power in Afghanistan while she was Prime Minister of Pakistan.

it is always a tragedy to someone when a person dies.  When that person takes reckless chances and places themselves in harms way needlessly, it is considerably less so.  Should those actions affect the safety of others, then it becomes a tragedy to people who had nothing to do with the initial incident.  Should the worst come to pass in Pakistan, that blame should be at the feet of Benazir Bhutto - Because Somebody Had To Say It.

Funny Math

Apparently it is elections season somewhere and with it comes accusations of misconduct, high emotions, and stupid rhetoric.  This doesn’t even count the typhoon that will be the US Presidential race, cause if it comes down to a Mormon or an African American, the South may try to secede again.

But today is another combo of troubled Democratic countries trying, apparently, to be examples of fairness and just reason. The only problem is the ones who are trying to cloak themselves in these sheep’s clothing are worse wolves than the man they oppose.

We all by know understand that the people of Pakistan may not like what Musharraf has been doing to their country, mainly being an ally of the US, and we haven’t liked what he has done, not crackdown on the tribal areas.

Now what we have is a union of evil taking place to make sure that Musharraf doesn’t maintain his position of leadership in Pakistan.  It appears as though two exiled leaders equal legitimate opposition, as they are now “champions” of the people they once took advantage of.

The audacity of these people can be astounding, if these incompetent retards wouldn’t be given keys to nuclear capabilities, it would almost be fantastically hilarious.   Thanks to modern science, and China, that is not possible.

So now we are all observer status constituents, to an election where the government does not even have control over its own borders.  A government that still has conflicts with India over the Kashmir borders, with a population that still sees the United States as the root cause of their troubles.  Though on the bright side, executing a teacher for naming a bear Muhammad seemed stupid to them to, she should be executed for showing too much skin.

Their choices are a corrupt exiled leader who has been living in the West, and whose major political decision that the Taliban running Afghanistan would be a good idea.

Whose husband has been interrogated for either being, or having been in the company of, terrorist organizations.  They are even accused of staging the attack upon Bhutto, to make her more sympathetic.

At first I too shrugged it off, but the grand stage acumen she has been showing makes me wonder, that and no other attacks have been tried since.

The other choice is an exiled leader who has been living with the Saudi’s and we all know what their major export is, Islamic Fundamentalists.  For all of you who said oil, that is a distant second and merely a means to fund their favorite export.

His main platform is that Pakistan has lost its way due to forgetting about the true soul of Islam.  You know, long beards chicks being covered up, and attacking those who do not practice the one true faith.  The same stuff that Republicans fight about over here.

What is troubling is that these, combined with Musharraf are the best that Pakistan can offer.  Creme rises to the top an any system, but these people make one question such logic.

At the very least we have been extremely lucky with our political leaders being statesmen.   Those few who have the arrogance to be great and do what they can to better their careers, but still have the good of the country in mind.

Too bad Pakistan does not want that as their legacy,  instead they would prefer to be a third rate country that thinks they are ready to take the next step into legitimacy of the “First World”.  How they came to that conclusion is some Funny Math.

Foolproof, Almost

Well color me surprised.  It turns out that the technicalities of law and order may have finally pierced the senses in some of the worlds most depressing places.

Not all of them, Zimbabwe will stay on my imaginary list of countries that could be better run by an otter with down syndrome until they at least get the inflation down to triple digits.  It is at 1700%, so come on Mugabe prove to the rest of the world that you are NOT merely a petty, cruel, violent, self absorbed dictator whose only concern is for his legacy.

The places of which I speak are the countries of Venezuela and Pakistan.  Not exactly the bastion of democratic values I grant you, but Rome wasn’t built in a day either.

What could these two countries possibly do to make their domestic policies seemed improved?  It is all in the paperwork my friend.

Lets start with Venezuela, cause they have oil, but no nukes, and as long as we have an oil based economy upheaval in these places are never good.  What is good is that it appears as though “Windbag Chavez”, as I like to call him, has been at least sidetracked in his desire to completely destroy the country of Venezuela.

He had pulled out all the stops to allow new legislation that would allow him to take control of the banks, suspend civil rights, and be President for life, and it failed.  Apparently there are 100 thousand smarter people than stupid people in the country, because that is the margin of loss Windbag Chavez had to suffer through.

While this is a good thing that it failed, it is really a not good thing that is failed by so narrow a margin.  I mean it is hard for me to believe that someone allow legislation drafted by an unresponsive, fiscally irresponsible, ideologically driven platform that did not take reason into account.  *Editors note, this in no way is to be thought of as an insult to the Bush Administration, as they are wondrous leaders with a vision of peace and prosperity, will you please stop puring water on me* 

The second country I have to give mad, stupid props to is Pakistan, though they don’t have oil, they do have nukes so we have to pay them a little attention.  Because they have barred Nawaz Sharif from running in the Presidential Elections.

For those of you keeping score, Sharif is the second formerly exiled Prime Ministerish leader of Pakistan who was going to run for President this election season.  As a side note, we need to explain that this is not what we mean when we ask third world countries to recycle, and yes I mean you Virescent.

Turns out the pardon Musharraf gave him to allow him back in the country did not extend to other convictions on his record, that would have made him eligible to run for President.  Though rumors persist that Karl Rove has offered his services since he has experience getting a religious fanatic with a shady past who happens to make rash decisions but telling people he is still a servant of God.  *Editors note, this in no way reflects the Bush Administration, which is just and fair, taking into account all views and options before acting, don’t shock me again….*

The only caveat to this turn of events is our good friend Bhutto is seeking to have him reinstated so that it can be seen as a “fair” election.  This may also be a ploy to have the religious fanatics try not to kill her, since they are a majority of Sharif’s constituency, something he shares with the Saudi’s.

I do suppose that I need to say that perhaps maybe not ALL Muslims in Sudan are stupid, just most of them.  They decided today to let the British teacher merely be deported immediately, and not wait the extra ten days in prison.  So congrats Sudan, you aren’t as stupid as we thought, but not by much.

So while the world still hangs in the balance of just and unjust, we can rest in the knowledge that there are checks and balances in every system, which makes the damage done by individuals negligible,should they follow the American System which is Foolproof, Well Almost.

With Friends Like Saudi Arabia…

Well the favorite topic of discussion, the deterioration of Pakistan, keeps getting better and better.  And by better I mean those crazy religious guys with the “the end is near” signs don’t look so crazy.  And that will be the nicest thing I ever say about Pat Robertson.

So here is the latest scoop that is a couple days old Pakistan is importing exiled former leaders in order to make a crazy election even more hectic and violent.  Democracy is great isn’t it kids?  Who is this newly arrived but already has a track record for being corrupt if not incompetent?  Nawaz Sharif is his name and Islam is his game.

Let me explain, Bhutto was brought in to be a shield to Musharraf so that the Islamic fundamentals would be violent towards her and her group of supporters, leaving the Military “not” under the command of Musharraf to run the country without all the pesky uprisings to put down.

So the Saudi’s in their obvious role and history of free and fair elections, fostering peaceful intentions of Islam, and concern for the people of Pakistan thought that if a liberal minded woman is allowed to go back home, then a strict Islamist should have that same right.  I mean its not as if a strict interpretation of the Koran would lead someone to do something irrational, right?

Let me repeat the scenario what we have is a Monarchical Society with a history of exporting strict Islamic beliefs throughout the world preaching that Democracy is an affront to Allah, telling a semi-legitimate “Democratic” government with conflicting segments of its population that could tear the country apart, and has nuclear missiles aimed at India as well as be open to dispensing that technology with like minded degenerates.

And we call the Saudi’s our ally!  The whole purpose of the retaliation in Afghanistan, I thought, was to present accountability to countries that harbored terrorists that would use distorted beliefs to attack innocent people.  I mean I get the Iraq was a way for Baby Bush to show he is a tougher man that Pappa Bush and be like the Scion of God himself Reagan, Peace be Upon him.

I mean I can understand why we would not fault the educational system of Saudi Arabia, cause ours isn’t exactly top notch.  Though we don’t have children’s books that tell the reader that Jews are Monkeys and that the hero is able to kill Jews and Infidels because it is Allah’s will.  Unless you go to Mississippi and replace a couple of the words with easy to understand pictures.

The top two majors in Universities in Saudi Arabia are Arabic and Studies of the Koran.  It would be like the U.S. having its top majors be Spanish and Capitalism.  Throw in some science classes let the people learn stuff that is useful to the world at large.  Let them play HALO 3.  Then the Saudi’s would be too occupied to meddle in the affairs of Countries on the downturn.  As it is we are trying to kill ideas with bullets, and they are speaking to the hearts and minds of our enemies.

Too bad it isn’t telling them to knock it off.  No wonder we have so many Islamic Fundamentals disdaining the American people, With Friends Like Saudi Arabia…

No Switch in Time

Pakistan it appears may be adopted by me as my most favorite place on earth. It has all the desire to be an upstanding part of the international community, and yet a segment of it wants to turn back the clock 1300 years.

Musharraf has learned the lessons of his counterpart President Bush well, using the powers of the office to expand and maintain power despite the legalities that may stand in the way. Too bad for the principle of law that Pakistan does not have the precedent to curb such thinking and seemingly abuses in power.

Too bad for the American Principle of Checks and Balances that impeachment was used as a political tool for partisan gains, thus giving Bush immunity from actions he had taken that contradict the oath of office that he swore to the God he seemingly follows.

What we also see is the failure of the Pakistani Supreme Court to understand the circumstances they preside upon and the tenuous stance that Pakistan finds itself. For instead of the ability to show that they are a check upon the Presidency of Pakistan the Supreme Court Justices have allowed themselves to be relegated to a rubber stamp.

These same circumstances were present when our own Supreme Court in 1937. Conservative Activist Judges had ruled not on the law but through their own ideology, setting a precedent for their liberal brethren 70 years later, but I digress. This prompted FDR who was watching his policies that would make peoples lives better be struck d0wn by the courts, to declare that he would propose a Court Packing Bill, which would increase the size of the Supreme Court.

Were it to pass, FDR would be able to pick new members that would be sympathetic to his cause, and get his legislature passed, but at the cost of the soul of the Supreme Court. For if any President had problems with the High Court striking down legislature, expanding the court would be seen as a possible avenue of circumvention.

This moment was realized by Justice Owen J. Roberts, and a critical decision had to be made. Allow some of these new legislature that was questionably Constitutional, preserving the third branch of government in the long run. Or deny the new legislature and allow the Supreme Court to be expanded as the Executive Branch saw fit. Parts of FDR’s legislation would be past prompting the press to say, “A switch in time; Saved nine.”

It was the inability of Pakistan’s Supreme Court to see this critical moment in the context of the larger picture that has ultimately failed the people it supposedly serves. For while the previous decisions may have been technically circumventing the law allowing Musharraf to remain President, what has occurred is much more dangerous.

Not to be abused by Musharraf who after another 5 years of ruling Pakistan may be sick of the place, but by those who come after. Especially if those who come after Musharraf are much more radical in their desire to obtain power, and the extension of their ideology.

I think it was President Lincoln who said, “Success has many Fathers, While failure is an Orphan.” In most cases this is true, but now we always need a scapegoat in order to place blame on a tangible target. The World has the US to blame for the terrible things that occur. Americans have the Bush Administration, while conservatives have the media.

For now this crisis of Pakistan may be placed on Musharraf because that is the only Pakistani we know. History should place the blame on those who deserve it, the Pakistani Supreme Court. Those men who were so determined to show it had power, that has now set a precedent that its court may be packed should a decision not be liked. Sorry Pakistan, No Switch in Time.

The Pink Mist

Alright enough, I had been privately thinking these thoughts for a while but did not wish to voice them for being illegitimately attacked as trying to keep the President of Pakistan, “An all boys club.” But We are in crisis mode now it has to be said. Benazir Bhutto needs to get gone.

As I have said before, she has stones, it takes a real piece of work to be this opportunistic. I mean lets be really serious and get to the brass tacks. She was elected twice and was expelled from her position as Prime Minister due to charges of corruption. And in that part of the world there must have been some serious corruption going on, since that is basically how they do business.

Now before the bleeding heart, “she’s a woman and thus that was why she was disposed of not due to corruption” feminist rhetoric gets spun, not this fact, the same Judicial System that is upset with Musharraf upheld these findings against Bhutto. They have this “people are equal under the law” type thing in their Judicial system, at least they are trying.

Now lets get into the current crisis. Telling the people loyal to you to start trouble by rioting and protesting, is not the best way to get a guy you think is abusing power, to relinquish it. If Musharraf was really as bad a dude as we are to believe, then he would just have his guys open fire and be done with it.

“But Musharraf was preventing democratic reforms to keep power.” Your point would be…what? That is a bad thing? Have you heard some of the rhetoric that gets spouted over there? Death to America this, Allah will smite the US that. I mean they are almost as happy 9-11 happened as Gulianni is, it gives them a platform to be relevant to the world stage.

Lets also remember that it was during the rule of Bhutto that the Taliban gained power in Afghanistan, thinking it would provide stability to the region. Her government even provided financial and military assistance so that Pakistan could trade with the Central Asian Republics. How well did that pan out for everyone involved?

This created the situation where the Pashtun, who are ethnically related to the Taliban Government in Afghanistan, started to have the loyalties strained. They have since been siding with their Afghan brethren making all kinds of problems, and possibly hiding Osama Bin Laden.

Have some decisions Musharaff made, become questionable when scrutinized? Yes, did Pakistan have a fantastic wonderland full of human right, democratic values, warm fuzzy feelings for those not of their religion until Musharraf took power? No. He inherited a bad situation and is making the best that he can.

We have to look at the alternatives of who would take power should Musharraf get sent into exile, I mean retirement after this situation calms down. A third times the charm election campaign for Bhutto? Or worse still, one of the Islamic Parties that want Pakistan to realign itself with the literal word of the Koran, rather than the capitalistic West.

We may not like it but Musharraf looks to be the best hope we have for a country that has problems feeding itself, but now has nuclear technology and the ability to launch missiles at an ally in India, or a large segment of the population who would use it for an attack on the US. If Bhutto keeps this obscenely selfish power struggle up we may have only one solution, the Marine Snipers call it, “The Pink Mist.”

Morals are What you make of them

Well I guess President Bush has had a impact on old Vlady after all.  The insistence that Tsar Putin was really a nice guy, and that all the KGB history was in the past.  Putin did believe in democracy and morality so long as they serve his purposes of expanding his hold on power.  In truth Bush saw himself in Putin, granted it was a smarter, able to drink alcohol, and be openly hostile to your opposition version of himself, but then that is almost everybody.

It appears that the Russian President/Tsar/Universal Leader has found God.  Not the “I promise to help the poor, feed the hungry, be just to my fellow man and good person” kind of God, but rather the “how can I use this for my own personal agenda” God.  You know, the things that Muslims and Republicans have been doing for years.

Putin has said that he has a “moral right” to continue to be involved in Russian politics.  Its interesting to note he did not use the phrase “moral responsibility” probably because their is no Russian equivalent word for responsibility the closest they come to it is “vodka” meaning no poor results.  Which would be debatable if you have seen the women in Siberia - Zing!

That roar of silence you hear is the hippy generation not getting upset that a man that has used strong arm tactics to get what he wants and will use whatever means possible to keep in power who also has questionable security of their nuclear arsenal, who is not of Islamic disposition.  I figured Europe would have a problem with a dude bringing back the old days, not getting upset with a Pakistani doing what rulers over their have always done- try to keep hold on power.

Author’s Aside - As I have gracefully, and effortlessly drawn Pakistan and Russia together, I would like to take this opportunity to speak with Benizar Bhutto for a moment.  I respect you.  It takes some stones to immediately turn on the guy who offered you immunity so you could come back to the dung-heap you guys call a country.  Then being more opportunistic that a fraternity finding a drunken heap of sorority girls immediately pouncing on civil unrest so you could oust that very same guy from power.  But to keep talking when you are under arrest and being told to shut up while the country is being burned down by people who hate you, and your own followers trying to prove martial law is unnecessary, is a sure way for you to find your way “falling” out of a window.  

Moving on,  what the aforementioned munchie generation needs to understand is that they should be cool with a guy keeping his population in line that has some weird ideologies that may involve nuclear holocaust.  It is for the greater good after all, the end all be all of circular reasoning.  Why else have moral standards if you can’t break them now and again when it is convenient.  Thats why morals are what you make of them.