I’ve been seeing this sort of headline today. But in reality it looks like Musharref will likely go peacably, and the islamic extremists were supposed to have done badly. Sounds like win win, both for the people of Pakistan and the US. Of course those in the US government trying to manipulate Pakistan have now lost most of their puppet strings. But that policy was never sustainable, trying to delay the inevitable only makes the transition more painful. Hopefully the people of America, and the people of Pakistan can begin healing the wounds.

On the surface of it, it seems that even Pakistan has a healthier democracy than the U.S. had during the last eight years. At least, the money factor in the democratic process there is minimal.

If the maxim of “The more things change, the more they stay the same” does not hold true this time, then my mistrust of the gimmicks of the democracy game might be reevaluated and adjusted.

The true test of democracy, in my opinion, is to bring a real change for the better and not merely to change parties or presidents.

Democracy has its own price tags attached to it. There was this friend Musharraf in Pakistan; He was fighting US war against the extremist Al Qaeda as a front state in ‘US war against Terror’. But the man was intimidated and also was labelled as dictator. It was made sure that he goes down defamed and be seen as defunct. To con him further, a phoney hunger for democracy in Pakistan was orchestrated. Look what Pakistan has got in return; as a gift of democracy:-

Democracy has brought the pilferers and plunderers back home to be in chair?
If this is wisdom then what will you give a name to Non-sense?

First off, this wasn’t exactly a resounding election, as Jackpine pointed out.  Secondly, let’s not forget that, in many places, women were forcibly blocked from voting by Islamic extremists who don’t believe that a woman has a right to vote.  Odds are, they were also stopping other, less extremist voters as well.  Voting is kind of hard when there is an AK-47 pointed at you by a guy wearing a semtex vest. 

Finally, can we put the who Bhutto thing to bed?  This woman and her family single handedly set Pakistan back about 15 years just from the money they stole from the country.  Who knows how much they’d have stolen this time.

Pakistan politics is like its cooking.

“ FROM DEEP FRIED PURRIES, TO PURRIE BAJI."i.e {from deep fried bread to mashed vegetables.}

It is good that democracy is making its come back in this turmoil-filled country. But Pakistan having its friends like United States, very much busy next door …training its muscles to… pounce. Only one can hope and pray that this democracy will have a chance to live longer!

Only the fear is that; possibly Mr Musharraf who was carrying a label of dictator, was adamant not to allow US to move in physically in Pakistan to grab its nuclear assets. Now he is off the scene and this democracy being in her infancy and also having made a regime change also; can easily be manipulated… to scum.
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Love for all, Hatred for None

I’m getting a little tired of the media treating this woman’s death with such reverence. She wasn’t much different from Musharaaf, and was put in power by Western influence as well.

Um, wasn’t voter turn out between 30 and 40%?  Sounds like America..."crushing" seems hardly an apt adjective.

Its good news, but there has not been a peaceful transfer of power yet, nor has the necessary coalition government been formed.  Hard to say how this will turn out.

None-the-less, its always nice to see a Bush lap-dog turned out by his own people.  It makes me wonder why Americans couldn’t do it?