4
Bush’s awesome instincts
Ah, memories:
We support democracy in Pakistan. President Musharraf understands that in the long run, the way to defeat terrorists is to replace an ideology of hatred with an ideology of hope. And I thank you for your extensive briefing today on your plans to spread freedom throughout your country. President Musharraf envisions a modern state that provides an alternative to radicalism.
Like the corners of my mind:
This President is a strong defender of freedom and the people of Pakistan, and I appreciate your leadership.
President Musharraf has set out on an important mission. He’s working to build a modern Pakistan that is tolerant and prosperous. Achieving this vision of moderation and progress will require movement toward democracy in Pakistan. The United States currently provides over $31 million for initiatives in Pakistan, aimed at broadening political participation and expanding educational opportunities, especially for women and girls.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf suspended Pakistan’s constitution and deployed troops in the capital Saturday, declaring that rising Islamic extremism had forced him to take emergency measures. He also replaced the nation’s chief justice and blacked out the independent media that refused to support him.
Authorities began rounding up opposition politicians despite calls from the United States and other Western allies not to take authoritarian measures.
It’s hard work.
Incidentally, if Bush started rounding up opposition politicians, you get the feeling that the Democrats would willingly jail themselves.
The Kenosha Kid said,
November 4, 2007 at 17:36
George looked into his eyes and saw his soul.
Ghost of Joe Liebling's Dog said,
November 4, 2007 at 17:41
The last shot, the two men in their long ballgowns, was kinda cute.
As for the Dems, if Bush started rounding up opposition politicians, where would he go to look for them? Just in case, hypothetically, someone wanted to be represented by one?
Dick Cheney said,
November 4, 2007 at 17:46
Forget Congressional Democrats.
If Bush started rounding up liberals most Republicans (your friends and neighbors, co-workers and brother-in-law) would simply watch quietly and say nothing, quietly relieved that they didn’t get arrested.
They’re cowards and don’t actually be in America, you see.
Wally Whateley said,
November 4, 2007 at 17:54
If Bush started rounding up opposition politicians, Congressional Democrats would announce that they had *always* been outraged by Chappaquidick.
ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said,
November 4, 2007 at 17:56
If Bush started rounding up liberals most Republicans (your friends and neighbors, co-workers and brother-in-law) would
simply watch quietly and say nothing, quietly relieved that they didn’t get arrested.cheer loudly and screech for torture.
Mandos said,
November 4, 2007 at 18:17
Nonono, they’d go for the bipartisan solution!
Mandos said,
November 4, 2007 at 18:19
A good place to follow the goings-on is Pakistan’s “newspaper of record” Dawn, http://www.dawn.com.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/04/top1.htm
One of the most important backstories in all of this has been the judiciary’s refusal to go along with Musharraf’s privatization scheme.
Mandos said,
November 4, 2007 at 18:20
Hmm, did I get spamulated? There’s one post between this and “bipartisan” that hasn’t appeared. Oh, well.
El Cid said,
November 4, 2007 at 18:28
I really don’t think it would be too difficult to pre-script the speeches which would be made by certain Vichy Democrats on why it was better for all of us for them to remain unjailed and to cooperate with the new Bush Jr. dictatorship, even if in the meantime yes it would seem that many of their former supporters might be losing their freedom or their nation.
Because remember, for a certain mindset, any existing horror is always preferable to the extremists they imagine around the next corner.
Mandos said,
November 4, 2007 at 18:31
Anyway, here’s my comment again:
http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/04/top1.htm
From the the Generalissimo’s proclamation, this is his complaint that the judiciary was uncooperative in permitting the sale of national assets to foreign interests, thereby completing Pakistan’s recolonization.
Mandos said,
November 4, 2007 at 18:32
Ah, OK, I get it. If I post a link I get spamulated. Oh, well.
SamFromUtah said,
November 4, 2007 at 18:34
Incidentally, if Bush started rounding up opposition politicians…
…every one they caught would be no. 3 in the opposition power structure.
Hoosier X said,
November 4, 2007 at 18:41
The Congressional Democrats must have the driest powder ever. When they use it, its going to be very potent.
That’s why they aren’t using it against a spectacular non-entity like Mucusy. It would atomize him, and that would make the public think they were mean bullies.
(I think that’s what Sen. Feinstein, DINO-Calif., was saying in that L.A. Times opinion piece yesterday.)
KnaveRupe said,
November 4, 2007 at 18:44
I, for one, am just glad that this dictatorial power grab isn’t being undertaken by a strongman who seized power in a military coup, and who is the leader of an extremist, Islamist nuclear state that harbors international terrorists like, for example, Osama bin Laden.
Hm? What’s that?
Oh.
Never mind.
thelogos said,
November 4, 2007 at 19:01
I imagine the congressional dems would also turn on their own gas “showers”.
Gary Ruppert said,
November 4, 2007 at 19:02
If Bush started rounding up opposition politicians, Congressional Democrats would announce that they had *always* been outraged by Chappaquidick.
This isn’t even a matter of speculation: after the GOP impeached Clinton, and despite overwhelming continued public support of Clinton, the Dems nominated Joe Lieberman to be their VP candidate precisely because he was the closest thing to a pro-impeachment Senator they had.
Gary Ruppert said,
November 4, 2007 at 19:07
Oops…I mean: The liberal Democrats’ instincts are to surrender to al Qaeda immediately!
(memo to self: remember to replace “Gary Ruppert” with my regular pseudonym next time!)
MrWonderful said,
November 4, 2007 at 19:18
Should we *all* be “Gary Ruppert”? Like some I’m-Spartacus deal?
Or do I mean Kevin?
atheist said,
November 4, 2007 at 19:52
Mandos said,
November 4, 2007 at 18:32
Ah, OK, I get it. If I post a link I get spamulated. Oh, well.
That shouldn’t be happening Mandos. S,N! was having some issues w/ unusually nasty trolls yesterday. Maybe that is why?
Could the management loosen the spam protection a tad plz?
joe lieberman said,
November 4, 2007 at 20:14
I write this from a lovely little cell in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I, being a patriotic American, have voluntarily submitted to the Cheney/Bush Lock Em Up Decree of 07, and I implore all other Federal, State, and local Democratic officials to follow my example and turn themselves in to their local processing Freedom Enhancement Centers. Doing so will set a wonderful example for the Democratic and left-leaning independent voters of our nation, who can display their patriotism by not avoiding being rounded up rescued from the threat of terrorism. Forcing them to find you will only serve to needlessly drain time and resources away from stopping the terrorists. Think of your country, and come in now.
Oops, time for my primal scream therapy. They’re so thoughtful here, they use cattle prods to help me get started.
Long live Cheney, bubye
Lesly said,
November 4, 2007 at 20:33
We support democracy in Pakistan.
And by democracy I mean we support anyone who’ll supplant their country’s interests with our own. That’s American democracy. Heh heh heh.
aka said,
November 4, 2007 at 20:52
Two mad men with nuclear weapons, no wonder they get along so well. They just don’t want their club to get any bigger, would ruin their one-on-one gazing into each other’s eyes time
a different brad said,
November 4, 2007 at 20:52
I guess doesn’t work for strikethrough here. Oops.
“processing” and “rounded up” should have lines through em n stuff.
a different brad said,
November 4, 2007 at 20:53
Nor does it show up at all in any kinda format.
heh
sarah said,
November 4, 2007 at 20:59
“Incidentally, if Bush started rounding up opposition politicians, you get the feeling that the Democrats would willingly jail themselves.”
this makes me want to cry with frustration. i think it is also true.
Snorghagen said,
November 4, 2007 at 21:05
Musharraf is just promoting democracy and freedom and liberty in a somewhat more forceful manner.
Steve in Sacto said,
November 4, 2007 at 21:21
“Incidentally, if Bush started rounding up opposition politicians, you get the feeling that the Democrats would willingly jail themselves.”
Sadly, yes…
jon said,
November 4, 2007 at 22:00
But they were such deep, soulful brown eyes.
Come on, gang. Musharraf IS an army general who took power in a coup. He just fired the chief justice of the Supreme Court. (His, not ours. We’re doin’ just fine, thanks.) Pakistan is having some pretty good tribal and radical Islamacist uprisings throughout a pretty large portion of the country. He let Bhutto back in to provide some window dressing on his continuing to hold power.
Sort of like Putin is doing. Y’know the guy. Big champion of democracy. The one with those dreamy blue eyes, like limpid pools…
Sorry, where was I?
You really want the mullahs to take over? Bhutto was run out on a rail last time she was President. Do you have another favorite general who needs the promotion. Really, what are the spectrum of choices in Pakistan right now?
I think the commenters are being to hard on the Democrats. They already sent themselves through the reeducation camps. They will always be at war with Eastasia. Just ask them.
Brad R. said,
November 4, 2007 at 22:05
jon- my purpose isn’t to judge whether or not Musharraf’s military clampdown on political opposition is justified or not. Obviously, it’s a pretty bad situation over there with very few desirable outcomes. Yeah, letting Islamic radicals get hold of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal would not be very good.
The purpose of this post was more to show the complete and utter BS of Bush’s “freedom promotion.” The guy doesn’t care any more about promoting democracy than Hank Kissinger did.
Some Guy said,
November 4, 2007 at 22:08
Like there’s any chance in hell Bushco isn’t looking at Pakistan, making a few phone calls, and getting a hard on.
Echt Doktor Bimler said,
November 4, 2007 at 22:29
They just don’t want their club to get any bigger
Could you perhaps rephrase that?
InsaneInTheCheneyBrain said,
November 4, 2007 at 22:36
The Democrats would stampede over each other to be first into the detention pens, hoping to be the jailer’s favorite! Pelosi would probably declare that “Escape is off the table.”
Fucking worthless.
g said,
November 4, 2007 at 22:48
This topic is too depressing to be funny about.
piotr said,
November 4, 2007 at 22:55
Great logic and statementship by the senior Senator of California. Yes, torture is prohibited for the military, but to prohibit torture by post office clerks or employees of Park Service we need a separate Geneva Convention and a separate law. By the way, what was our beef with Saddam? If I recall, it was secret police that applied torture under his regime, not the military, so I guess it was OK.
I also hope that Musharraf reads her editorial carefully and that he will not use his military to torture political opponents, but more proper branches of Pakistani government.
But who was an idiot to formulate a grand convension against torture with a loophole wider then the rule? I understand that Feinstein is the pretend idiot, while the laws are actually logical and sane.
mikey said,
November 4, 2007 at 22:59
Hello, Per-Vez? George here. Howdy. Listen, I’m calling to talk about this whole emergency declaration thing. I…What? No, no, it’s fine. Better than fine. That’s why I’m calling. I’m hoping you can give me some pointers. Yeah. See, I’m having a lot of the same kinds of problems. The high courts are fuckin with me, the oposition party won’t act on my agenda, and the press is just brutal. So whats the deal with this state of emergency? Is it matial law? Uh huh, yeah, I see. So you just declare the emergency, and the constitution is voided? And you can arrest your political opposition and hold them indefinately? You can make the judiciary take a new oath of loyalty and shut down non-state owned media? That’s all there is to it? Ok, Per-Vez, thanks. Talk to you soon. Rock on, Generalisimo.
Hee hee. DICK?? Come in here. I’ve got an idea!!
mikey
ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said,
November 4, 2007 at 23:53
Funny thing about S,N!
strikethrough code.Both [s] and [/s], and [strike] and [/strike] work in preview.
But only [strike] works when it counts.Bozo Amelia said,
November 4, 2007 at 23:56
The high courts are fuckin with me, the oposition party won’t act on my agenda, and the press is just brutal.
If only any of those things were true.
DEMIZE! said,
November 5, 2007 at 0:46
I think it was Tacitus who said of the Roman Senate when the end of the republic was imminent,something to the effect of how willingly they beg to become slaves.
mikey said,
November 5, 2007 at 1:20
Hell, even [blink] works in preview. Preview pretty much accepts and displays any valid html. WordPress, on the other hand, only allows a very limited subset in comments. I’d bet this can be managed by the administrator…
mikey
M. Bouffant said,
November 5, 2007 at 1:51
You just don’t get it. ‘Freedom” & “democracy” are two different concepts. “Freedom” is the already powerful being free to plunder a nation’s resources & people. It’s the same as “economic liberty.” And once “opportunity” is guaranteed for all citizens, terrorism goes down.
Democracy is against freedom, because it forces you to think & choose. You’re free to work harder & do what’s best for you (& your employer) if you’re not burdened w/ democracy.
Krassen said,
November 5, 2007 at 3:43
Kool! Iran has a freely elected president, Pakistan has an authortarian dictator… Then there’s also this other country, Iraq… Juuust beautiful, how things are coming along…
Sadly, No
Thomas said,
November 5, 2007 at 5:40
Erm…I hate to get all nitpicky, but I believe it’s “Memories, light the corners of my mind.”
I am so lame.
Tom said,
November 5, 2007 at 16:26
Perhaps the opposition has already been rounded up which would explain why he gets no opposition from the so-called Dems in Congress.
CrackerNation said,
November 5, 2007 at 17:21
Are those guys wearing dresses? They do seem to admire each other.
MobiusKlein said,
November 6, 2007 at 2:15
Fuck all happened to Burma’s Generals. Why should any other dictator worry?
As long as the oil is going out, the troops stay out.