America's Best Worst Enemy
America's great hope in Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, seems to be in trouble. (This is a live Google, you'll get the latest news and evidance against the argument in this post. Such is fate) The question of the day is not how much longer he can hold on to power but how long his side can hold power.
Many have condemned him as an autocratic tyrant who will not allow a democratic Pakistan to rise. What many of these self same critics don't realize is they are playing Russian roulette with Pakistani society. Sure, there is a fairly good chance there could be an orderly change of government to whoever is Musharraf successor, but there is also a very good chance that chaos could become the order of the day or an extremist régime in no way friendly with normal, orderly society could seize control.
Don't say it can't happen. Proofs abound. Bush and his naïve Neocon foreign policy wonks certainly found that democracy just doesn't happen. Saddam was one mean assed tyrant, but then again, given the current situation in Iraq, maybe he had to be that way to keep peace in his own country if not order.
The deep of heart and ideal but shallow of reality and common sense rail against Mubarak of Egypt and the Saudi ruling family for there oppressive régimes as though with an open society, their country would be democracies like Europe or America. Fat chance. The chaos of Iraq or the alternative oppression of extremist religion such as in Iran or Afghanistan under the Taliban is the more likely result if their form of oppression was lifted.
That's basically the only two choices you got. Democracy is not easy. It just doesn't happen. And although no matter how good our intentions in countries that do not get the benefit of democracy and a free market, we are many time our own worst enemy. A big part of Musharraf's problem is his alignment with the west. He is tainted by association with America.
Let's face it, some people just got to hate. Today, a major sect of Islam thrives on hate, and currently much of it is directed at America. I see an opportunity here. Use the hatred against us as an asset to work for us.
The leader of a country doesn't necessarily have to be friendly with America to be of use to America. As long as he does not allow plotting against America by such groups as Al-Qaeda within his borders, he can rant and rave against American all he wants. We could even work secretly to insure he stays in power.
Musharraf's successor could campaign against us, use us as a whipping boy to make inroads with those that must hate somebody or someone, and at the same time have absolutely no intention of doing anything against America. He (or she) could take up the reins of power as an enemy of America with all the popular support that entails. They could use that power to clean out the Al-Qaeda camps in Northern Pakistan now in nationalist fervor to remove all foreigners from their country and not as a tool of the Americans. They could become America's best worst enemy.
Many have condemned him as an autocratic tyrant who will not allow a democratic Pakistan to rise. What many of these self same critics don't realize is they are playing Russian roulette with Pakistani society. Sure, there is a fairly good chance there could be an orderly change of government to whoever is Musharraf successor, but there is also a very good chance that chaos could become the order of the day or an extremist régime in no way friendly with normal, orderly society could seize control.
Don't say it can't happen. Proofs abound. Bush and his naïve Neocon foreign policy wonks certainly found that democracy just doesn't happen. Saddam was one mean assed tyrant, but then again, given the current situation in Iraq, maybe he had to be that way to keep peace in his own country if not order.
The deep of heart and ideal but shallow of reality and common sense rail against Mubarak of Egypt and the Saudi ruling family for there oppressive régimes as though with an open society, their country would be democracies like Europe or America. Fat chance. The chaos of Iraq or the alternative oppression of extremist religion such as in Iran or Afghanistan under the Taliban is the more likely result if their form of oppression was lifted.
That's basically the only two choices you got. Democracy is not easy. It just doesn't happen. And although no matter how good our intentions in countries that do not get the benefit of democracy and a free market, we are many time our own worst enemy. A big part of Musharraf's problem is his alignment with the west. He is tainted by association with America.
Let's face it, some people just got to hate. Today, a major sect of Islam thrives on hate, and currently much of it is directed at America. I see an opportunity here. Use the hatred against us as an asset to work for us.
The leader of a country doesn't necessarily have to be friendly with America to be of use to America. As long as he does not allow plotting against America by such groups as Al-Qaeda within his borders, he can rant and rave against American all he wants. We could even work secretly to insure he stays in power.
Musharraf's successor could campaign against us, use us as a whipping boy to make inroads with those that must hate somebody or someone, and at the same time have absolutely no intention of doing anything against America. He (or she) could take up the reins of power as an enemy of America with all the popular support that entails. They could use that power to clean out the Al-Qaeda camps in Northern Pakistan now in nationalist fervor to remove all foreigners from their country and not as a tool of the Americans. They could become America's best worst enemy.
posted by scout29c at 12:18 PM
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