Posted
by Phil Cauthon
November 7, 2007 at 9:53 p.m.
The cure is the cause
First, [listen to this][1]. Listen to a Pakistani administration legal adviser explain Musharraf's recent actions (starting around the 3 min. mark) by citing the U.S.'s post-9/11 actions-as a fundamental rationale no less. This is the fallout from the Bush administration. I'm optimistic enough to think our country can absorb a rogue administration in stride and move on for at least a few more generations before it all starts to unravel. (I'm not being sarcastic-I'm in no way an alarmist about the current state of American government. Throughout the entire 8 years of the Clinton administration, my conservative dad felt same the way I do about Bush. And so it goes..) The rest of the world, though, is ultimately outside our Constitution's jurisdiction. As the case of Pakistan shows, alarmingly, even a relatively friendly (remember Musharfaf's appearance on the Daily Show [[part 1][2]| [part 2][3]]? Not exactly Cold War-style, no?) and crucially strategic nation can implode despite our influence. Or could it be because of our influence? Both for sure, but that latter seems to be the case with Pakistan. If you doubt what I'm saying, listen to that interview again. He's basically saying because the U.S. did X, Y, Z following 9/11-well, this is our 9/11 (it's all relative, right?) and so we're justified in doing whatever we want, even if appearances are unseemly. How could we have expected to perpetrate Gitmo- and Abu Ghraib-style justice, Patriot Act tactics on our own population, heck even the way the 2004 election went down, without having other countries cite our actions-the shining example of democracy-as an open license to do whatever in the name of Freedom? What demagogue out there can't rightly appeal to the basest fears of its populace to justify whatever it takes to retain power-citing the U.S.'s actions as a precedent? And where is our high ground to do anything about it...even post-Bush? [1]: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16088925 [2]: http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=114685&title=pervez-musharraf-pt.-1 [3]: http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=115155&title=pervez-musharraf-pt.-2
Comments
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buck (Buck Rowland) says…
Now, you are just being negative, Phil. The only problem is that they got to suspend their constitution before we did.
This of course can't be our fault, and by the way, nothing like what is going on in Pakistan could ever happen here...but just in case, have you read the national security presidential directive/nspd 51
also known as homeland security presidential directive/hspd-20 at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releas...
If not, I would advise checking it out.
pc (Phil Cauthon) says…
gracias s.b... flattering company for my first blog! joel is a Master Blogger, whether he thinks so or not. and thanks for the linkage buck. looks like some light reading for this evening~
OnShakedown (Chris Tackett) says…
phil, there are plenty of other EOs to read up on.
http://uweb.txstate.edu/~lf14/conspir...
can't vouch for the link, there are plenty of places compiling this info, i just picked the first one i found.
OnShakedown (Chris Tackett) says…
this has some interesting info re: Pakistan
http://www.attytood.com/2007/11/heres...
DOTDOT (anonymous) says…
I only want to say that a dictatorial regime using propaganda to justify power through marshall law is not deserving of the compliment of having their rhetoric analyzed against our actions.
The resulting conflict among us plays directly to their intentions.
Is their not a danger here in the assumption that these countries are waiting for examples by the likes of GW in order to figure out what they should do? Doesn't that presumption of stupidity carry a similar aroma of arrogance as the Bush legacy will?
I'm not sure I could disagree with your premise, Phil, I just worry that rising from the ashes of this administration is going to be thwarted overmuch by giving GW undo credit for future geopolitical developments. And that process would be controlled - apparently easily - by terrorists.