USA v. Pakistan---Dictatorship? Democracy? You Can't Tell Without A Program!

by: Paul Rosenberg

Wed Nov 07, 2007 at 09:00


Signs To Look Out ForUSAPakistan
Unitary ExecutiveCheck!Check!
Stolen ElectionsCheck!Check!
Military Loyal To President, Not ConstitutionCheck!Check!
VP Shoots People In FaceCheck!Not so much
Criminalization of Political OppositionCheck!Check!
Constitution SuspendedCheck!Check!
People Noticed Constitution SuspendedCheck!Check!
Media Noticed Constitution SuspendedNot so muchCheck!
Judiciary Stands Up for Rule Of LawNo, but they do stretch their arms from time to timeHad to fire the whole lot of them!
Lawyers revolt over lawlessness of governmentYou're kidding, right?Check!
President as popular as syphilisCheck!Check!
Paul Rosenberg :: USA v. Pakistan---Dictatorship? Democracy? You Can't Tell Without A Program!
Poll
So Which Is Which?
Both Democracies
USA Democracy, Pakistan Not So Much
Pakistan Democracy, USA Not So Much
Both Not So Much
How 'Bout Them Redsocks!

Results


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Thought crimes (0.00 / 0)
But Paul, you got one wrong: "People Noticed Constitution Suspended" -- in USA, too busy dissing the BCS and looking for childcare.

However, this noxious piece of legislation does seem to be real and our lovely "representatives" are falling over themselves to vote for it.

Can it happen here?


I Think The Polling Support For Impeachment Says Otherwise (0.00 / 0)
Particularly in light of how under-reported it is.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

[ Parent ]
Paul you crack me up. (0.00 / 0)


We won the Battle. Now the Real Fight for Change Begins. Join MoveOn.org and fight for progressive change.  

Bunk (0.00 / 0)
Your inflammatory and incorrect rhetoric serves no one.

Our Constitution has not been suspended. Yes, laws have been passed and actions have been taken that violate the Constitution. The difference between this kind of action and a suspension of the Constitution is that there is a path for remedying these offenses.

Yes, people in the government have broken the laws. This is nothing new. People in the government have broken the law as long as we've had a government.

Our executive is also not unitary. Our president still has to get permission from congress for everything he does. Just because congress bends over and gives it to him every time does not mean we have a unitary executive. It means we have a gutless, aimless congress. There is a difference.

So, please give up. Your post is utter bunk. You should feel embarrassed to have posted it in a public place with your name on it.


Not Just A Troll, But Without A Sense Of Humor (0.00 / 0)
Which only makes you a source of more chuckles.

I can literally see the steam pouring out of your ears.

I'm thinking you look sorta like Yosemite Sam in this particular scenario.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3


[ Parent ]
I had a good laugh (0.00 / 0)
but your poll made me think as well: the problem is that democracies, as human institutions, are always deeply flawed. I think we may have deceived ourselves before the Bush-era into thinking we we had a nice, real democracy where everyone was treated pretty fairly and the government respected the rule of law.  Can we really go from democracy to not-democracy that easily?

So I'll bite -- I think they're both democracies -- they are both set up so that theoretically, the citizens select their government.  No question, I greatly prefer being in the US right now over being in Pakistan.  And it would be nice to think that we had a flawless legal and political system before Bush, and that we can restore it by replacing him.  The lawyers protesting in Pakistan want Musharraf gone, too, but how likely do you think that fix is, and that "true democracy" will be achieved there?  How likely do you think it is here?

Tim Wolfe


I Voted 'No' On Both, But I Accept The Validity of Your Logic, Too (0.00 / 0)
In fact, stimulating a debate about what makes  a democracy is sort of the whole point here.  It's so easy to look at Pakistan and either minimize it (the GOP/Versailles respose) or shake our heads in dismay (pretty much everyone else).  But it's much more productive, IMHO, to use it as an opportunity to ask some uncomfortable questions.  I tried to ease into it with a humorous presentation, yet the issue is deadly serious.

I've never been so sanguine about the state of our democracy.  But, then, I've always considered myself a political radical, so I'm not the guy to go to for feel-good bromides.  And so, yes, there is a silver lining in that more people recognize how fragile our hold is.  But do we actually have to tumble off the cliff in order to realize that our footing is insecure?

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3


[ Parent ]
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