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Bush Stands by His Dictator

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Posted on Nov 13, 2007
Musharraf and Bush
AP photo / Gerald Herbert

By Robert Scheer

“The war on terror” made me do it. That’s the excuse that works for George W. Bush to rationalize his assaults on the rule of law, from arbitrary arrest to torture. So why not try some war-on-terror obfuscation to bail out his president-dictator buddy over in Pakistan?

That’s the card Bush played at his Saturday press conference when he once again celebrated Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as a strong ally in the war on terrorism: “If you’re the chief operating officer of al-Qaida, you haven’t had a good experience. There has been four or five No. 3s that have been brought to justice one way or the other, and many of those folks thought they had found safe haven in Pakistan. And that would not have happened without President Musharraf honoring his word.”

Of course Bush’s statement was utter nonsense. Al-Qaida has been having a very good experience with its CEO Osama bin Laden—whom Bush had promised to get “dead or alive”—being still very much alive and apparently moving with his minions quite easily across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. So too his Taliban sponsors, who seem to get stronger each month; Afghanistan is no closer to stability than Iraq, that other war-on-terrorism battleground where Bush once claimed triumph.

But now, even Pakistan is a war zone in which the terrorists seem to be thriving, and that is more troubling than the chaos in that other country we invaded to seize its imaginary nuclear bombs. Pakistan has real ones, upward of 80, as well as the aircraft and missiles to deliver them if some of the religious extremists in the military ever get in charge. Some highly placed folks in the Pakistan military supplied the transport planes used by Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of the “Islamic bomb,” to transfer key nuclear weapons technology out of Pakistan and into North Korea, Libya and Iran. If Musharraf is such a determined warrior against terrorism, why has he pardoned Khan, the man who did so much to help those rogue nations that Bush warned us against, while preventing U.S. intelligence agents from interviewing him?

Not to let Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto off the hook, because Khan’s network flowered under her tenure as prime minister, as well—not that Bush holds that against her either. Heck, U.S. presidents have tolerated Pakistan’s nuclear madness ever since President Jimmy Carter, and then Ronald Reagan, enlisted Pakistan to back the U.S-recruited Islamic fanatics, such as bin Laden, in their revolt against the Soviet puppet leader in Afghanistan. Reagan didn’t even care when the CIA warned him that Khan was kick-starting the Iranian nuclear weapons program that Bush now says may lead to World War III.

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But Bush’s coddling of Musharraf goes further; he dropped the sanctions imposed against Pakistan as punishment for its nuclear program and then rewarded the Pakistani president with $10 billion in military aid to fight terrorists. But what has fighting terrorists got to do with arresting your country’s lawyers and judges? Nothing, but here, too, the Bush people have an excuse: Musharraf is not a bad man—he’s just made a few mistakes.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on a day last week when thousands of peaceful opponents of the dictatorship were being rounded up, called Musharraf a “reasonable man.” Boy, can she pick ‘em. As for the mass arrests: “We think this was a bad decision. Full stop. A bad decision.” But bad decisions, like destroying the last vestiges of democracy in Pakistan, do not a bad dictator make, according to the Bush contingent. As Rice said: “I don’t have any doubt that he is somebody who tries to have the best interests of his country at heart.”
In response to calls from Rice and Bush, Musharraf did say something about holding elections as soon as he gets a new supreme court appointed that will back his claim to be president. Bush wrote the book on that one.

The opposition parties, whose members are being jailed by the thousands, said they wouldn’t participate in elections under martial law, but Bush called Musharraf’s vague promises of elections “positive steps” and said, “I take a person at his word until otherwise.”

Bush is no dummy, and he knows that if you want to act like a dictator, you’d better not look like one, so “get rid of the uniform” is another bit of advice he offered the general-dictator-president of Pakistan. He could have added, “and smile more.” The best way to sell repression is with a smile or, if you can’t manage that, a smirk, as Bush well knows.


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By scottpowell, November 19, 2007 at 4:53 pm #

I think it is time to do something about this BS before its too late! We need to mobilize the militia!

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By ted tyson, November 19, 2007 at 5:32 am #

Robert,
    The reason Bush gets away with his crimnality is because you and others won’t point out the lies told to us about 9/11.  Patty Casazza, who lost her husband in the attacks, recently revealed that FBI personnel have told her and others that the federal government knew the date and the targets of the 9/11 attacks in advance.  How is it not your job as a journalist to follow up on this story?


      Sincerely,

      Ted Tyson

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By thomas billis, November 19, 2007 at 2:33 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

If Bush did not stick with Musharaff it would be news.Democracy is Gods gift to the people that God tells his dumbest prophet to give it to and I guess God does not want the Pakistani’s to be democratic.Countries are trembling all over the world that they may be next for God’s dumbest prophet to bring them democracy.

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By jo-joes, November 18, 2007 at 2:38 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

To Vet240,here is hidden history in a nut shell
Saddam was America’s attack dog—the mut couldn’t kill Iran. When the attack dog did not performed,the master killed it and found another dogie without looking into it’s breed line—Like Iraq, the attack dog 1930s Germany was trained and feed to attack anti-jewish Poland Russia. When it failed to finish off to kill Russia—-by by to the useless stupid dog.
EU, India, Pakistan are the new waiting and groomed America’s attack dogs on the block.—Hello Russia {:-(

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By A Khokar, November 17, 2007 at 7:46 am #

Re: #113884 by Outraged on 11/15 at 10:18 pm

Thanks for your kind complements. Sorry, I failed to realise that it should have been the word ‘here’ instead of ‘there’. Thanks for your correction. In the matter of English; some time you find your self in a spin on minor things. World ‘here’ is also right in the sense that US is now here every where and is here to stay.

It’s the policy of American adventurism which is the issue on this planet Earth. Million are being subjugated out there by force against their will. They are deprived of their independence, land and resources. We all are witnessing this onslaught and keeping…a mum? Our conscious is probably asleep.

American adventurism is a deep seeded policy of securing US hegemony in the world. Stage one of the plan is to bring all the lucrative lands of world economic resources like ‘oil and its trade routes’ into US folds. The phoney; global war declared by US against terrorism is a divisive tool of convenience in use by US forces to accomplish their designed tasks. Local proxies are also engaged to combat, in the selected areas of operations.

The Osama bin laden happens to be the chieftain of all the proxies, ever fostered by US in the recent history; followed by others like Saddam Hussein in Iraq, who fought an 8 long years war of attrition against Iran to deplete Iran and soften the grounds for US. Musharraf in Pakistan who is keeping the purported monster of terrorism live on Afghan-Pakistan border; in order to justify US operation against the terror and also prolong US stay in the areas of interest.

The past conduct of Osama bin Laden (OBL) shows that this headliner stooge may not be graded as American foe at all, (as he is generally purported). Mr George W Bush is the sole top beneficiary of OBL past performances. He happens to be the best proven friend. May it be the mid-term US elections, any remembrance day of atrocious incident of 9/11 or a time when US planned to initiate a surge of US forces in Iraq, etc, etc? He was always there ready with a befitting video or audio massage; very timely emerging from his hiding (cave) and coming up in aid of Bush with his contribution. To act as decoy enemy; an act earnestly required to justify the next intended offensive moves by George W Bush. Has he ever been found late on this; no…never. He is our friend. A friend in need is a friend indeed. 


The seasonal harvest of tomatoes and cucumbers in third world may not pose any problem. There are the mineral resources of third word verses Western rapacious greed which concerns us all, because it is making this world an ‘unsafe place’. 

Pakistan; a beautiful country is in turmoil. There is anarchy and mayhem all over. Musharraf is doing his best to curtail it; but fate of this country is pre-decided in USA. Pakistan is a US proxy and her all leaders are implanted by US and each of them carry his or her a ‘sell by date’. The route for its leaders to the seat of power passes through Washington. So we should not be surprised with any untoward out come; it is predestined.

With the friends like USA, who needs the enemies?
——————————————-
Love for all, Hatred for none

Report this

By cyrena, November 17, 2007 at 2:56 am #

#113741 by Outraged

Dear Outraged,
You’ve outdone yourself!! Thanks for the post. I read the entire thing on the global research site. (That site is one of my favorites for stress-free attribution)

And yep, I remember those days when the Bushies/Carlye Group/BIG HOUSTON OIL (good ol’ Sugarland and Tom Delay…remember him? He was there too).

Yep, and it was 1997…just about the same time that the rest of Texas started falling into a gigantic swamp hole, even though lots of folks still don’t know it. What can I say? It’s gotta be some sort of divine protection I suppose. They are protected from hearing any evil, seeing any evil, or feeling any evil.

The other piece was great as well. I knew about the 1999 Coup, but I had no idea about the World Bank connection. That would be Wolfie’s same world bank, eh? Timing is about right for his tenure too.

Now I’m trying to remember exactly where in Afghanistan, that pipeline starts, that continues on to Pakistan, because it seems like I remember that there is in fact a connecting point. Anyway, that’s where the real pot of gold lies…the Caspian Sea, with it’s connection to the Black Sea and all of the others.

This is from an old article that hasn’t been updated since 2005. But, the Consortium at least, has been in operation for a while now…

In 1996 Nazarbayev and Russian president Boris Yeltsin reached a preliminary agreement on redistributing the shares of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which plans to build a $2-billion pipeline to export oil and gas from Kazakhstan through Russia to the Black Sea shipping lanes. Russia was given a 24-percent share; Kazakhstan, 19 percent; Oman, 7 percent; the other 50 percent was divided among eight oil companies. The pipeline is crucial to future development of the oil reserves in the giant Tengiz field in western Kazakhstan
© 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Meantime, on Iran, I appreciate the info there as well, since there’s never been much question, (at least in my own mind) that Iran needed to maintain some independence from OPEC, and to find an alternative to energy production, based on it’s rapidly expanding population. (something like 70% of the population is under the age of 30, and they’ve always made it clear that they need new energy sources, as well as an independence from OPEC.

And then there’s that Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to which they are a signatory, which not only ALLOWS them to pursue the technology, but even requires that the nations that ARE the nuclear biggies, help them out!! (and of course they’re supposed to ‘disarm’ themselves – fat chance, eh?)

But, it looks like at least Russia is holding up their end of the bargain on helping them out.

OK, thanks again. Great stuff!!

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By Outraged, November 16, 2007 at 3:18 am #

Re:#113687 and #113779 by A Khokar on 11/15

Your comment “tomatoes and cucumbers” really started me thinking about Pakistan’s agriculture.  So I began to research it on the Internet. It certainly doesn’t seem Pakistan grows many tomatoes and cucumbers, but I’m sure they have them.  So maybe it was just a fluke.

But then you also said this:  “This US adventurism in this part of World will stay there”
I guess that it was also just a fluke that you said “in this part of World” but then finished with “stay THERE”.  Shouldn’t you have said stay HERE.  Probably just translation issues.

In an earlier post you defended Musharraf saying: “One can argue that after 9/11 incident, Musharraf, a leader of impoverish and declared insolvent nation (then)…Pakistan was forced to swallow a bitter discriminatory pill on US call; to quell and subdue his own people”

And also:
“Let there be orderly transition of power in Pakistan to…democracy; (may it be even under emergency) and also allow him to take the credit of that. By declaring him a dictator now… may be out of place.”

However, as I was searching for those “tomatoes and cucumbers” I found this article called “World Bank’s Timely Offer”, quote:

“Pakistan hopes to sustain and build its economy with the help of the World Bank’s concessional as well as non-concessional windows after the conclusion of the current three-year IMF programme amounting to 1.3 billion dollars from its Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF)........Pakistan has missed a number of chances in the past to get rid of the harsh and stifling IMF conditionalities because when it had the financial space to do it, it wasted it by squandering resources on uneconomic activities. Now there is one more opportunity to withdraw from the Fund’s unhelpful conditionalities because of a favourable turn in economic circumstances in the wake of 9/11, including a generous debt rescheduling round from the Paris Club and a record accumulation of foreign exchange reserves.”
http://www.pakissan.com/english/agri.overview/world.bank.timely.shtml

And also this from the CIA site:

chief of state: President General Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June 2001)
note: following an October 1999 military coup, General Pervez MUSHARRAF suspended Pakistan’s constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; in May 2000, Pakistan’s Supreme Court validated the 1999 coup and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three years following the coup; in June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself president, replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; an April 2002 referendum extended MUSHARRAF’s presidency by five years
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pk.html

Musharraf rose to power through a military coup, not the best way to start out a democracy, then it seems as if after 9/11 his “luck” IMPROVED dramatically.  Unless I’m missing something, World Bank began “funding” many agricultural concerns in Pakistan and apparently is helping put them into play.  In May 2000 Pakistan’s SUPREME COURT validated the 1999 coup. (Boy, somehow this just has a familiarity to it.)  I found it “disconcerting” that in April 2002, shortly after 9/11 he was “reelected”.  I guess it just goes to show you, you just can’t call an election, or CAN you..?

BTW, except for that “error”, your English improved considerably on your second post.

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By A Khokar, November 15, 2007 at 3:24 pm #

#113741 by Outraged on 11/15 at 8:12 am

Outraged,

If tomatoes and cucumbers were the only items of export from Iraq; would America be loosing so many men and bearing the huge expenditure of war there for the sake of ill-fated Iraqis?

This US adventurism in this part of World will stay there; till such time some other force emerges to counter this sole super power.
———————————————
Love for all, Hatred for none

Report this

By Nitro, November 15, 2007 at 3:20 pm #

To my fellow bloggers, this decoy that Prince Shrub and his corporate fascist regime are just that, a deterrent to keep us looking the other way.In case no one is aware… our real current problem is with the House passing into law yesterday the authorization allowing Mexican Trucks to come across our borders, un-inspected, without documentation or insurance or any thing legal what so ever, and can now haul goods in our country.
I imagine with the reports I’ve gotten that these trucks will be hauling subversive elements into our country in an Invasion attempt unlike the illegal border crossings.
The clear cut proof beyond a shadow of doubt now is that our own government has taken over this country all ready. I know how stupid that sounds, but tell me one thing our government has done in the past 30 years that hasn’t been the stupidest, most moronic policies that one could ever imagine.And this truth is non debatable friends!
The time for pecking and bitching on these web sites are over folks ! The time to bear arms against the Invaders of both our borders and our government is now. As far as I and many other Millions of Americans are concerned, and not the American Bleeding Hearts Sheeple, the House of Representatives just declared War on the United States yesterday by authorizing this freedom to another Invasion of our country. So the War is on now folks.
The time has come to excersize you 2nd Amendment Right and defend your country. If you want to sit here and bitch and peck, go ahead. The rest of US are on our way to defend our country, & TAKE IT BACK, from the fascist regime that is now in control!
Racer - 113436- you are one of the few that hit the nail on the head and I cannot emphasize your statement enough about getting our heads out of the sand and WAKE UP!
Scott - 113542- You must be eating the same thing for breakfast that Prince Shrub and Dick Tater Cheney and this Cracker Head from Pakistan are eating… COO COO PUFFS !!! Take your One World Order Government ideas and shove them up your Ass Sir, and get out of our country!!! If you and all the others that want the One World Order so bad, then get your worthless excuse for a human being out of this country and go to hell for all I care! The American People are sick to death of this shit and we’re not going to take it any more if it means the start of the 2nd Revolution and blood shed to stop it…. So be it!!!!
The American SHEEPLE however want it, so I guess this clears up which side of the fence you are on doesn’t it?
LEGALIZE FREEDOM! REMOVE THE TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION AND FUTURE BONDAGE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE! RESTORE THE CONFIDENCE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IT SHOULD HAVE IN IT’S GOVERNMENT!
“If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” James Madison~
“It is error alone which needs the support of the government. Truth can stand by itself.” Thomas Jefferson~
“If we do things right, things will come out right.” Rep. Ron Paul~
The choice is your’s people. Sit here and peck and bitch, or grab your guns and help defend and restore our country to the American People. Not the Red Communist Chinese that have all ready taken over our economy. Not the Mexican Invaders that our own government has used to infiltrate and destroy our way of life. And damn sure not the Corporate Elite Economic Royalists that are now in our government running the puppet strings of Congress and the White House. And damn straight the Radical Terrorists that want to destroy US all together!
Let’s take all the perks and benefits that our alleged Representatives enjoy for free, and give them to the V.A. Let’s take all the Corporate Fascists, seize their companies and assets, and balance the 16 Trillion $ defecit we now owe. Remove the Federal Reserve and the I.R.S. and return this country to the REPUBLIC FOR WHICH SHE STANDS, and not the so called democracy we have.

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By Outraged, November 15, 2007 at 1:12 pm #

There’s an extremely interesting article which, at least to my way of thinking, explains a lot.  It’s from Global Research, called, “The New World Order, Forged in the Gulf.  An excerpt:

“So, why would the US have plans for an attack on Afghanistan and the Taliban prior to the 9/11 attacks? Back in 1997, when George Bush was Governor of Texas, BBC News reported that, “A senior delegation from the Taleban movement in Afghanistan is in the United States for talks with an international energy company that wants to construct a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan across Afghanistan to Pakistan,” and that “A spokesman for the company, Unocal, said the Taleban were expected to spend several days at the company’s headquarters in Sugarland, Texas.”34 The article continued, “Unocal says it has agreements both with Turkmenistan to sell its gas and with Pakistan to buy it,” as well as the fact that “despite the civil war in Afghanistan, Unocal has been in competition with an Argentinian firm, Bridas, to actually construct the pipeline.” It concluded, “the Afghan economy has been devastated by 20 years of civil war. A deal to go ahead with the pipeline project could give it a desperately-needed boost. But peace must be established first—and that for the moment still seems a distant prospect.” As the London Telegraph reported in 1996, “Behind the tribal clashes that have scarred Afghanistan lies one of the great prizes of the 21st century, the fabulous energy reserves of Central Asia. Largely unexplored, and almost completely unexploited, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, all formerly components of the Soviet Union, but now independent, are known to possess vast oil and gas reserves…......Hence the attractions of Afghanistan,” and it continued, “Another pipeline route exists, and is already at a detailed planning stage. This pipeline, initially for gas, would begin in the Dauletabad field in central Turkmenistan, traverse Afghanistan along the Herat-Kandahar corridor, territory controlled by the Taliban, and exit into Pakistan.” Further, “Unocal, the Californian oil company, in alliance with Delta Oil, the Saudi Arabian company, has been in negotiation with the Taliban, as well as rival warlords, for much of this year over terms for the Turkmenistan-Pakistan pipeline.”

(Been working on that since 1997 and the pipeline ends up right there in PAKISTAN.)

“In discussing this potential problem for American hegemony, Brzezinski states, “Potentially, the most dangerous scenario would be a grand coalition of China, Russia, and perhaps Iran, an ‘antihegemonic’ coalition united not by ideology but by complementary grievances.”

(Bush’s WWIII)

“Iran’s move to nuclear energy, then, can be seen not just as a possible move towards creating a nuclear weapon, but perhaps more plausibly, is a move towards creating an autonomous, independent nation; industrializing itself. Iran, an OPEC member, is subject to the manipulations of Saudi Arabia, and, as we saw with Iraq in the lead up to the Gulf War, OPEC can be used to destroy the efforts of a member country to industrialize itself;......Whereas if Iran were to pursue nuclear technology, it would be able to create its own energy: reliant upon its internal structure and not upon OPEC’s price controls. Given historical precedent in the region, this is a much greater threat to hegemonic powers, and especially the Anglo-American alliance than the pursuit of a nuclear bomb”.......But in the eyes of the public, a country building itself up and industrializing is not a problem; so the idea of changing the government of Iran must be stemmed from the line of ‘weapons of mass destruction’ and ‘nuclear bombs’, which are buzz words to scare the public.”  (Hmmm…a GREATER threat to hegemonic powers, which translated means American Imperialism ran by OIL corps.)

The entire article’s link.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7048

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By A Khokar, November 15, 2007 at 7:49 am #

One can argue that after 9/11 incident, Musharraf, a leader of impoverish and declared insolvent nation (then)…Pakistan was forced to swallow a bitter discriminatory pill on US call; to quell and subdue his own people in the name of war on terrorism and round up Afghanis and Taliban miscreants trickled down here.  But credit goes to him that over the period of last six years; this country has since recovered a lot. It is now standing ‘up right’ and is flourishing.

To accept US terms then, may be the most hate full blunder committed by Musharraf, where he was compelled under the circumstances but what justification can we have, when a fully remodelled and US nurtured robot; like Miss Benazir Bhutto is being implanted wily nily in Pakistan to take over this country. She has promised US a free walk over and take out the most endeared nuclear assets along with Pakistani engineers. It is nothing else but to destroy and push Pakistan to the dark ages. Once again she will leave this country looted and plundered and leaving Pakistanis at the mercy of foreign invading forces like in Iraq for their manipulation.

Just yesterday; he was called as ‘our man in Pakistan’ where as he was in military uniform for last 8 years and every body was keeping mum. Now he has called for elections which will be held in first week of January 2008. He is also doffing his uniform off, (as soon as he gets the verdict of his presidency election which has since been challenged in court.)

Let there be orderly transition of power in Pakistan to…democracy; (may it be even under emergency) and also allow him to take the credit of that. By declaring him a dictator now… may be out of place.

Any how over all US agenda is very well known; Not a peace, prosperity or democracy in the country like Pakistan but Turmoil, mayhem, civil unrest and anarchy which suits the Neocons agenda and the phoney war against global terrorism. 

—————————————————-
Love for all, Hatred for none

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By Louise, November 15, 2007 at 12:56 am #

“Bush Stands by His Dictator”

But is he the only one?
As Scheer points out, “Bush’s coddling of Musharraf goes further; he dropped the sanctions imposed against Pakistan as punishment for its nuclear program and then rewarded the Pakistani president with $10 billion in military aid to fight terrorists. But what has fighting terrorists got to do with arresting your country’s lawyers and judges? Nothing, but here, too, the Bush people have an excuse: Musharraf is not a bad man—he’s just made a few mistakes.”

***

And probably has a good hold on a few of our own president(s) past, present and possibly future, who aren’t bad either ... just made a few mistakes.

Why is Bush holding up Musharraf anyway? Or is Musharraf holding up Bush?

Try to understand the importance of Bush and Musharraf holding up each other. That is if you can figure out the lunacy that drives men’s [and women’s] greed. Which by the way goes a little beyond simple nukes and nutty Taliban.
***

“Hillary’s Musharraf

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18720.htm

Mrs. Clinton’s forgotten fling with the Killer of Karachi
By Greg Palast

11/14/07 “ICH ”—— He was the other man in Hillary’s life.  But it’s over now.  Or is it?”

***

Sometimes it looks a lot like the Hill and the Bush are playing good cop bad cop, and we’re the guy on the hot seat. Maybe we need a law forbidding Clintons and Bushes from political office. Yeh, like that’s going to happen, or even make any difference. Because at the end of the line and the bottom of the barrel we still find the oligarchs. And we cant vote them out of office!

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By Gusto, November 14, 2007 at 9:32 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

The President of Pakistan removed the entire supreme court of his country because they were going to declare his “election” a fraude and people in America are surprised that George Bush is playing ignorant and claiming that the “war on terror” is more important than democracy, yet he goes to other arab countries, kill people and overthrow governments in order to impose democracy. American soldiers are dying in Iraq to impose democracy, yet, our President says that in Pakistam, Musharaf has the right to suppress the people to establish a dictatorship. Why to we in America wonder why people around the world think we a bunch of Hypocrites in America. That is why countries no longer takes us seriously.

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By Let them feel a loss also, November 14, 2007 at 8:44 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

You are right we have to start resisting now.  It may be too late but we have to try.  They are not our Kings and Queens.  One World government, you must be one of the brainwashed left or a Bush friend from Israel.  Just like we lost love ones by their hand of control and profits they must start to feel these losses to so they know how they have turned our lives upside down….they are betting you think is radical and dis this type of thought.  Their kids live in riches and freedom from our suffering.

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By ocjim, November 14, 2007 at 7:03 pm #

In comments to various pieces, the cry is often heard for impeachment of both Bush and Cheney.

Impeachment is a long process. It usually involves the following:
1) Proposal of articles of impeachment by the Judiciary Committee (shouldn’t be a problem since Dems have majority)
2) Articles of impeachment require a simple majority of present House members (again could be done).
3) If House approves articles of impeachment, Two-thirds of the Senate must vote to convict with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding.

Though Nixon had his blemishes, he was willing to resign after the Judiciary Committee voted for articles of impeachment, presumably not wanting to put the country thru the mess.

It’s not likely that Bush, more subject to self-deception, more stubborn and less capable of being shamed, would resign, and there is little chance that the Senate could get a 2/3 vote….unless the people took to the streets. The added problem is Roberts as the presider.

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By Calibpatriot, November 14, 2007 at 5:14 pm #

It’s obvious why “the Commander Guy” AKA “the American dictator” supports Musharraf.  They both are complete soulmates.  I truly believe that the marshall law and the arrest of Pakistan’s Supreme Court justices plus the shelving of Pakistan’s Constitution is being promoted by the Cheney/Bush regime.  This is being used as a trial balloon in advance to a final Cheney/Bush “pusch” to finalize their coup d’etat started in November, 2000.

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By Watchdog, November 14, 2007 at 3:16 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

You are absolutely correct…..“Racer”!

I have sent this link to several investigative journalists with no reply. It surely seems that no one is willing to tackle this subject of “Globalization - The Octopus of the New World Order” in the spineless mainstream Media. 

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/esp_sociopol_globalization.htm

I’ll say it a little stronger, we all need to get our heads out of our ass before it’s too late!

113436 by racer on 11/14 at 12:58 am


IF YOU THINK BUSH AND CHENEY ARE BEHIND ANY OF WHATS HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD THINK AGAIN. THEY ARE JUST FOLLOWING THE CFR, TC FREEMASON GLOBAL ELITE AGENDA. AND GETTING QUIT RICH FOR THEIR LOYALTY.  WITCH IS ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT,
WE ALL NEED TO GET OUR HEADS OUT OF THE SAND BEFORE ITS TO LATE.WE ARE VICTIMS OF MASS MEDIA DECEPTION AN MISINFORMATION THATS BEEN GOING ON FOR 20 30 YEARS.

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By Scott, November 14, 2007 at 3:02 pm #

A one world government…

The idea actually makes a lot of sense. The evolution of one planetary government seems completely natural. In theory it should be more efficient and make it easier to find solutions to global problems. I also think it would make it easier to keep an eye on the Machinations of one government than the 190 odd that we have now.

Think globally, act locally and just think of yourself as being an Earthling. How hard is that?

Its unfortunate there is so much irrational fear amongst people about the idea.

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By Margaret Currey, November 14, 2007 at 2:54 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I wonder when our country will be run by a DICTATOR, WE ALLREADY HAVE CHANEY.

I say the “I” word should be on Nancy’s lips.  The I word should be in the mind of congress also.

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By ocjim, November 14, 2007 at 1:47 pm #

Our prescient president says that he can look into the eyes of Musharraf and Putin and see the compassion and candor. I’m sure he uses the same exercise when he looks into his own mirror.

This Bush method explains his total lack of reason in all his endeavors, and their total failures. It’s a mindless, vacuous exercise in ideological idiocy

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By robert baruch, November 14, 2007 at 12:09 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Who is being beaten, arrested, and detained under General Musharraf’s “emergency rules” (i.e. de facto martial law)? Are they the Taliban or al-Qaeda? No, they are judges, political rivals, and human rights activists. This is not a battle against Islamic extremists. This is an assault on democracy itself.

In a political cartoon, Rob Rogers illustrates the cozy relationship between Musharraf and our own champion of democratic principles and values, George “Warmonger” Bush. A phone conversation between the two goes like this:

General Musharraf: “Are you mad at me for using terrorism as an excuse to seize power, quiet my foes and ignore the constitution?”

Bush: “Heck, no…imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

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By jatihoon, November 14, 2007 at 11:47 am #

Time for the civilized world to wake up and act, act now before it is too late. Pakistan army and its generals are the most corrupted and die hard islamist, look at the Pakistan history, since its very inception most of the time it has been under army rule. It is under the army rule all this mess started, talibans, mullahs and islamist goondas. Pakistan people are by large, highly educated, liberals and sincerely believe in democracy not Dasmn-a- crazy.

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By Verne Arnold, November 14, 2007 at 11:06 am #

#113457 by Revere on 11/14 at 3:30 am
(5 comments total)

Ooops.  You do not compare Fox news with Soviet hegemony, sorry about that, but, I think you give Fox news too much importance.  As an aside; I did read an impressive article in the 80’s that stated the Soviet army was too fragmented by ethnic divisions to be effective, stating further, the whole cold war was bullshit….and our attempt to out hegemony the Soviets….which we did.  My exception to your comment is simply the statement about emotion.
Peace

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By Verne Arnold, November 14, 2007 at 10:51 am #

#113457 by Revere on 11/14 at 3:30 am
(5 comments total)

I would concur with some of what you say.  Emotion; yes, it is a negative in a meaningful dialogue, debate, if you will.  Most of us are not skillful in the art of debate and with the most horrific intrusions against the foundation of this country (its constitution); it becomes increasingly difficult to exclude emotion.  The anti-war demonstrations against the Viet Nam war were emotion based (and morally correct) and in the end were successful.  The thing I find most disturbing at this time is the apparent lack of emotion (and concern) on the part of my fellow Americans.  Emotions, properly directed may be the single most effective weapon in our arsenal. 
That you speak of the Fox news network using emotions effectively is curious, especially in comparison with the Soviet attempt at hegemony over the west.  That victory by us was simply, an act of bankrupting them by using the arms race and it’s subsequent over spending (which their economy couldn’t afford).  Fox news is an archaic relic soon to find its place in the garbage can.  They are not worth one more word.
Our arms industry is probably coming out of this enormously richer, as is our oil industry…..so what does that say about us………and what will/can we do about it if we just don’t give a shit?  Emotion….sorely lacking….no passion….doomed to rot and death.
With all of this, I’m not even convinced democracy is the thing we should be fighting for; because the majority rules, and the rest of us suffer the result.  Bushes “democracy” sucks and I will have none of it.

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By John Borowski, November 14, 2007 at 9:45 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

In the Republicans (Aka Conservatives right-wingers) opinion there are two types of dictators, Musharraf is one of the good guy dictators and one of the bad guy dictators would be Castro. Even though Musharraf is one of the good guy dictators, I think he is the lesser of the two evils in Pakistan for this world’s safety. If the religious devils ever gain control by overthrowing Musharraf, their sworn enemy India can expect a nuclear attack. You have 4 countries (Israel, Iran, Pakistan, and India) in that neck of the woods that want to kill each other. Only one doesn’t have nukes and that one will probably have nukes soon. (Iran) The evil brought to a boil in that section of the world was caused by Bush and his cabal in their quest to rob Iraq’s oil. The American people will have to pay the trillions of dollars (Not only dollars, but the lives of their young sons and daughters) that was spent in the successful attempt to steal the oil for the British and their colony the USA. As a bonus for the British and their right-wing lackeys in this country they can now give the American people a good screwing at the gas stations. The cost of all this is a million times greater than what the Do-Good Liberals (Good is bad) taxed you for the poor. The sad thing about all this evil is they are allowing inflation to ravage the Americans’ pocket (A desperate attempt to save the ass of the stock market) while inversely lowering his quality of life and living standards. PS Turkey and Iraq are waiting patiently for their turn at bat. All of the above will delay the planned attack on Iran.

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By Revere, November 14, 2007 at 8:30 am #

The writer of the article reminds us of some recent history regarding Carter and Reagan allowing Pakistan’s “nuclear madness” and the US recruiting “Islamic fanatics”.  These are essentially facts.  However, such emotional adjectives lend fodder to the relevant madness in the present times – The madness of the likes of Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly and their ilk.  The fact of the matter is that during the cold war the US was often the perpetrator of atrocities against human rights and inconvenient democracies, as well as recruiting absolutely anything that could leverage success against Soviet hegemony.  The US won the hegemony chess match of the 1980’s.  At that time, most everyone in the West agreed that the greater evil was the USSR.  Our perspective and priorities now have the benefit of hindsight.  Furthermore, at that time, nobody knew what our “fanatic” bedfellows would ultimately be accused of after 911.  Therefore, associating emotional adjectives with the sacred cow Reagan will solidify in certain people’s minds the idea that progressive thinkers are pinheads and lunatics.  This is because the archetypical American feel-good, might-is-right, we-were-attacked mentality, is, really, the most powerful weapon FOR terror, that of American power projection, as touted regularly on FOX news.  Emotions are twisted into propaganda there, sometimes artfully, often ham handedly.  I’m afraid the enemies of truth are fortified when progressive writers become emotional.  But the thrust of the article is timely and critically important.

Comments 113436 and 113430 are basically dead-on-balls-accurate. 

Comment 113424 is slightly off because it alludes to the fact that the Bush regime is negligent in not capturing Bin Laden.  I believe Bin Laden was allowed to walk on purpose – there is compelling documented evidence of this.  Additionally, how can we promote the fallacious war-on-terror if we had already captured the iconic titular head of “evil-doers”?  And regarding the fact that the Bush group is in it for the money, they already have enough with their Carlisle cronies.  Although money is not a deterrent, POWER is the game they prioritize on behalf of the elite.  Yet power projection automatically enriches one of the few industries the US has remaining, the Arms Industry.

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By QuyTran, November 14, 2007 at 8:25 am #

The dictator meets with his sub-dictator ! Very funny

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By blog dog, November 14, 2007 at 6:00 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Robert, please, Al-CIA-duh is so thoroughly exposed, how on earth can you possibly expect to be taken seriously touting that tired old limited hang out?

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By racer, November 14, 2007 at 5:58 am #

IF YOU THINK BUSH AND CHENEY ARE BEHIND ANY OF WHATS HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD THINK AGAIN. THEY ARE JUST FOLLOWING THE CFR, TC FREEMASON GLOBAL ELITE AGENDA. AND GETTING QUIT RICH FOR THEIR LOYALTY.  WITCH IS ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT,
WE ALL NEED TO GET OUR HEADS OUT OF THE SAND BEFORE ITS TO LATE.WE ARE VICTIMS OF MASS MEDIA DECEPTION AN MISINFORMATION THATS BEEN GOING ON FOR 20 30 YEARS.

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By vet240, November 14, 2007 at 3:07 am #

Irony of Ironies.

If bu$h had stood with Saddam Hussein we would be 2 Trillion dollars richer. We would not have 4,000 dead and 35,000 wounded and we would have had a strong ally against terrorism.

We could very likely have been able to curtail or kill Bin Laden by now had we not squandered our resources in Iraq.

The fact is bu$h is an exdruggie and a degenerate fool.

Even worse are those who facilitated this fools rise to the Presidency. Shame!

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