Re: Mullahs Mad at Musharraf- (the triple MMM)-Verizon/Split in MMA-MadSci
Verizon: The absolute distinction between civilian and military rule in Pakistan is something of a joke. In Pakistan for most of the supposed civilian rule the Army, bureaucracy and the intelligence agencies have always been in the background (with some notable exceptions..that is ZAB's time and Nawaz Sharifs second term).
As far as economic success I grant you Military rule has always guaranteed some form of highly limited stability, I also grant you that Ayub Khan gave Pakistan double digit growth rates, and Zia a decent 6% growth rate..again where did all that money go..into more defence spending and into the hands of ther corrupt allies...those same allies are now billionaires and supporters of military rule..so what's the advantage of that stability if it's only purpose is to guarantee another mess for the people of Pakistan?
Musharraf keeping the uniform has NOTHING to do with pakistans security (please cite one example of how it does) ...what it does do..is secure Musharraf in power..the very thing he said when he took over he didn't want to do..
Re: Mullahs Mad at Musharraf- (the triple MMM)-Verizon/Split in MMA-MadSci
Zakk, I am not missing the point, given that no leader has an interest in fixing the system, I would prefer one that is better for the country.
army dictators may have screwed things up royally, sure..but our civil dictators have not really done much either have they, they have been just as bad if not worse than the military rulers.
Its not just the security situation, not in the typical one with borders but on a bigger scale and much more critical. political wheeling and dealing, on national as well as international stage are critical, and are tied to the national security.
Re: Mullahs Mad at Musharraf- (the triple MMM)-Verizon/Split in MMA-MadSci
Again Fraudz international wheeling and dealing has nothing to do with having an Army uniform. Mush has already purged the Army of any senior officers who could talk back to him...the Army won't as of yet object to any decisions he's making. Even the MMA does not reject him as President..it just rejects him as President witha uniform...so where is the controversy? mushy has just listened to the same people who made him go ahead with that joke of a referendum ..and again he makes himself look bad...
Re: Mullahs Mad at Musharraf- (the triple MMM)-Verizon/Split in MMA-MadSci
"army wont as of yet object" .. but may do so in a year, 2 years, 3 years..
so lets just make sure the possibility does not arise, and thus his decision
Re: Mullahs Mad at Musharraf- (the triple MMM)-Verizon/Split in MMA-MadSci
Cowasjee is one of the few English writers left who still defends and praises Mush, here is what he had to say:
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/cowas/cowas.htm
President General Pervez Musharraf on December 30, 2004, spoke to a listening nation: “Pakistan has never had real democracy in more than fifty years.” This, of course, is absolutely correct as it has forever been ‘grab as grab can’.
He continued: “The Constitution of Pakistan allows me to retain both offices until 2007. And I shall never violate the Constitution.” His inner voice surely told him otherwise - that he had amended the sacred document and can and will do so again, and will strictly abide by all amendments.
“I know that the uniform is a non-issue for the people of Pakistan,” he announced. This cannot be denied. He can dress like Mahatma Gandhi provided he can also provide Gandhi’s quality of leadership and deliver on his promises.
The Sun King, Louis XIV of France, a great and good monarch for sixty long years, was the man who first said ‘Apres moi, le deluge (after me the deluge).’ General Charles de Gaulle echoed the same phrase a couple of centuries later and Musharraf, by implication, has more or less said the same thing. He may like to ponder a saying attributed to de Gaulle : ‘The graveyards of the world are full of indispensable men.’