posted on October 8, 2001 09:08:54 AM new
I don't know if Pakistan has ever been very stable, they've had problems since creation with internal factions and India, and Musharraf's military government was created by overthrowing Bhutto's elected government. I wouldn't want to be Musharraf, he's in a precarious position, America's pushing him, Pakistani government members and civilians are pushing him, and he's always got to keep an eye out for India.
posted on October 8, 2001 09:40:51 AM new
I don't claim to know anything about the internal workings of the Pakistan government, nor about Musharraf's personal political history. But that being said, I was impressed with the way he presented the situation he found himself in when the US called on Pakistan to be of help to the US in this situation.
In his TV 'state of the union address' speech he put his cards on the table to his people. He explained (over and over again) how he was trying to make the decision about which road to take that would be in Pakistan's best interest. He stated it in a kind of a 'on this hand if we do this....and then on the other hand if we do this' type of style. Saying which way to go wasn't going to be an easy decision. But again, asking the people to always remember he was keeping what was in Pakistan's best interest first and most important.
I believed him. He came across to me as being sincere in his struggle to make a decision about which way *was* the best direction to lead his country. He wasn't acting like I normally see dictators or military leaders acting. He really came across as being between a rock and a hard place.
posted on October 8, 2001 09:41:18 AM newCaution: Please don't get bent out of shape or indignant, this is an honest question. I don't mean it to sound racist, or bigoted. I might plead ignorance, thus the question.
Are there any Muslim countries that you'd consider rock stable, on the level of say Britain, France, Germany, Norway, etc.? Turkey, and Egypt, are the only ones that pop up in my mind as long running democracies (relatively speaking) but how many others are there that are dictatorships or monarchs or just a mystery country?
posted on October 8, 2001 10:13:41 AM new
There isn't a one of them that we could not wake up tomarrow and they might have a new government and the CIA would say "We never saw it coming." They all are governments of personality, and as Pakistan shows elections are overturned by tanks.
That is why the legitimacy of elections and the placement of administrations by courts or legislatures here is so scary because once you go down that road and it becomes normal stability is always lessened.
It is dangerous and scary that we continue in a state of emergency here and all it takes is a simple order by the President and we will have martial law taking over the functions of the Federal government.
[ edited by gravid on Oct 8, 2001 10:17 AM ]
