Re: Pakistan on the brink
*I am an ordinary joe not versed with any of those spiffy concepts u mentioned. But I have a question. If we r going to be applying the "guilty by association" concept here, then should Musharraf also be declared a traitor or would-be traitor for trying to make a deal with BB? *
It was not my goal to talk down to you. If I came across that way, I apologize. The guilt by association concept involves creating an irrelevant association and is based on an appeal to emotion. So when you said asked why didn't the military brass prosecute BB, it does NOT take away anything from the fact that she has committed treason.
An equivalent analogy involves me committing a crime and you (as the policeman) not arresting me. Are you saying that you (the policeman) would also be criminal? Emotionally or upon moral grounds we could say yes. However under the law and the reality, I would be the only criminal. To further elaborate, if we take your analogy to its extremes then any Pakistani government, democratic or not, would be responsible for ALL the ills and crimes of country. You and I both know that it is not reasonable to make such assertions.
If any other future government comes into power and has the guts to prosecute, BB would be a traitor to the state. Regardless of what happens, she has committed treason.
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I gather u want him to executed for treason. My point is, BB (and by association, all of PPP?), committed treason too by giving out the Sikh lists. Why should she not be executed as well? Y this selective application of law?
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Absolutely. I would say that treason at this point is confined to BB. If I were to say all of the PPP was responsible, I too would be falling under that guilt by association fallacy. She should be. I have never said that she should remain free. Both NS and BB were dismissed from power twice...Either Pakistan is a banana republic or things had gone seriously wrong. Either way, the complete elimination of these two characters is absolutely necessary. Let's bring back democracy with a clean slate.
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So a large disparity between what we can do and what we should do. hmm**
Absolutely! Why are we here if everything is perfect? Coming back to BB's article, I do not believe that a traitor that is mulk badr should be commenting on the performance of th current President.