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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Slipping

When you no longer have enough pull to influence your own dictator in Pakistan......
A senior member of Musharraf's legal team said Wednesday that the United States is more worried about fighting terrorists than about seeing democracy flourish in his country.

Ahmad Raza Khan Qasuri, an advocate at Pakistan's Supreme Court, also warned the U.S. that ''we expect from our friends advice, not dictation. We are a sovereign country.''

''Do we ask for a checklist from the United States, 'Why did you go to Iraq? Why did you go to Afghanistan?''' he said at the Middle East Institute. ''The United States, instead of dictation, they should give us friendly advice.''

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posted by mikevotes at 1:31 PM

4 Comments:

  • Are dictators and non-democratic leaders around the world merely following the example of Bush? Is he, in a manner of speaking, a mentor to other power-lusting world leaders?

    Bush has proudly snubbed his nose at world opinion. His administration has shown bald faced contempt the the opinions and counsel of other nations. He has shown that you can spit in the worlds eye and get away with it.

    He has set a shocking example for "tough" leadership. Indeed, despite his proclamations, he has, by far, done more to set back the cause of Democracy than to advance it. One might say the universal theme of his presidency has been anti-democracy -- here and across the world.

    As with nearly everything with this man, his actions have been the polar opposite of the words when it comes to decency.

    By Blogger -epm, at 3:41 PM  

  • I don't think they're following him, but there are using some of the more egregious examples like waterboarding and rendition as justification for their actions.

    And when you talk anti-democracy, you're not really clear whether you mean intentional acts like supporting Saudi or Egypt, or unintentional ones. But, yes, generally the actions of "democracy" have led to more chaos which has enabled more authoritarinism.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 5:04 PM  

  • In an interview with a Musharraf advisor (the name escapes me and the link isn't up yet) on NPR yesterday (Thursday), the advisor went to some length to use Bush's suspension of constitutional rights as an example and justification of what is right and proper for a leader (one might say autocrat) to "restore calm and stability."

    Unequivocally, the actions of Bush, and his reinvention of what it means to be "patriotic" and "democratic" are being used by autocrats to exert their own patriotic will in the name of democracy and national security.

    By Blogger -epm, at 8:16 AM  

  • I heard it too, it's the same guy as this quote.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 1:40 PM  

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