Citing growing lawlessness, General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president, suspended his nation's constitution and seized complete power over his country.Quoting U.S. president George W. Bush, Musharraf declared Sunday, “Things would be a lot easier if this was a dictatorship — so long as I’m the dictator.”
President and vice president Bush and Cheney were reportedly last seen drying the drools of envy off their chins, after ordering the CIA to study exactly how Musharaff pulled off his incredible power grab.
Meanwhile, when asked about it during her breakfast, the secretary of state and former Chevron oil tanker, Condoleezza Rice, said of this latest US ally state gone authoritarian, "the decision to declare a state of emergency is very regrettable," while wiping the egg off her face.
(Dada note: Rumors that a reporter was escorted by armed capitol security officers from Friday's White House press briefing against his will have been denied. Apparently the reporter DID NOT ask press secretary Dana Perino if president Bush had recently secretly ordered a five star general's uniform with 14 rows of military chest ribbons.)
10 comments:
Long live Benazir Bhutto.
First thing I thought of when I heard about the Pakistan emergency powers declaration was this would be the model for ShrubCo to use next year.
"It's too dangerous in this war on terror to allow elections -- look what happened in Iran and in the Gaza Strip. It could happen here!" -- George W. Bush
oh no! was the uniform designed by Khaddaffi or Michael Jackson? this is key (I think) ...
P.S. If you didn't see Bill Maher's show this week, don't miss the interview with Jeremy Scahill, author of "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army." Eric Prince, president and owner of Blackwater is a big-time supporter of Evangelical Christians as well as ShrubCo. Today, it was reported that Prince will start a sub-division of Blackwater, in addition to its mercenary army, private Navy, and other paramilitary operations, that will privatize intelligence activities as a parallel to the CIA. I'm becoming more and more paranoid about the future of democracy in the United States. It may, indeed, be doomed by, first, the ShrubCo taking imperial powers for the executive branch, second, neutralizing the Congress, third, appointing ultra conservative judges, and, fourth, letting loose Blackwater, Halliburton, Enron, and so many other rightwing nuts to make a coup seem not only possible but needed.
I can't even believe that I'm writing this but the evidence is mounting everywhere around us and no one is saying anything about it. Shades of Paster Martin Niemoller. "They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up...And the...they came for me...And by that time there was no one left to speak up."
eprof: Many people are having similar feelings. I did a post last week about Blackwater West (Blackwater Smackwater). Jeremy Scahill was also on Bill Moyer recently. Letting those B.W. guys write their own rules of engagement amounts to a private army -- an army we taxpayers are funding, but not controlling.
dada: I didn't mean to make light of the situation. Benazir is supposed to enter Islamabad tomorrow. Recall her recent words about ending this military dictatorship in Pakistan, which really got my attn.
WeezieLou: Did you accidentally omit a word in your comment? Did you not intend to say, "HOW long live Benazir Bhutto?"
(I'm trying to respond to comments as they appear here...hence, I may respond to someone more than once.)
eprof...I'm really torn on this admin declaring some kind of nat'l emergency, martial law, whatever, to retain power, i.e., I would think Bush would be sooo very glad to get the hell out of town after destroying the nation, but then who am I to judge power lusting sumbitches. (I've never had much myself, hence, no urges for more of something I've barely known...but it must feel REAL good to these guys, doing what they have done, hence, maybe their lust for more?)
d.k. loved your speculation on the "uni" Bush would order. Not sure which he would opt for (although the Michael Jackson one seemed more fitting), but I enjoyed contrasting the two you suggested. (Maybe the cod piece Bush wore for his "Mission Accomplished" mission was too small, his panties got knotted, and the world has been paying ever since?)
eprof: Re Blackwater who has received some really bad press just because they're unanswerable to anyone, hence, can kill indiscriminately in Iraq, I remarked to Mrs. Dada last week, "Not to worry, Eric Prince is so emBEDded with this administration that, even if they kick his ass out of Iraq, they'll find other work probably more rewarding than that he lost! (Scahill is a "resident" Blackwater expert on Democracy Now!)
Watching his testimony before the senate, all I could see was some ultra right-wing young republican extremist sucking the lifeblood from the country that honest, hard-working citizens are still pledging their allegiances (and sons and daughters) to as they're being betrayed by these very bastards they vote for.
When I posted Friday's entry here, I did so with the thought it would be an appropriate "last blog" devoted to political commentary on these pages. (That didn't last long, did it?) And now I'm reading your comment which is echoing my own sentiments and it's pretty damn discouraging. Obviously, we're in the deepest "something" of our lifetimes.
As I used to like to say, "The past is behind us and will stay there until we turn things around." Sadly, I've lost my hope that's possible.
deke: No need to apologize. I know you, along with the small group of others who frequent here, feel it too.
Interesting times, indeed! I appreciate the small but regular group of readers who frequent here and especially those who take the time to comment! Thanks all.
If we need some kind of reassurance that there is a future for the Republic and the Constitution and there is a voice for it, check out Keith Olbermann's commentary this evening.
eprof: I saw this. And while a little disappointed at the lack of news of Britney, this was absolutely excellent.
Howsomever, more than reassurance for our future, I felt emboldened by Olbermann's remarks.
(Of course, I also took comfort in knowing that someday, somewhere, I may reside behind the same concrete walls and metal bars as he!)
But he strongly spoke truth to power and spared nothing in his condemnation of this illegitimate regime. Olbermann is truly a marked man and that moved me on a very deep level!
Bush and Mush, said a Pakistani man exhausted with both!
I am so sick of these people and their paid thugs...criminals that they are....scary times for sure...it is so nice to come here and see naj and dk and prof and weezlie...and know we are all in the same strange boat...
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