DescentBB

\"Nations and states which are based on dictatorship instead of the supremacy of the constitution, the rule of law and protection of basic rights get destroyed,\" Mr Chaudhry told the crowd in the compound of the Lahore High Court.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6629287.stm
Military dictator Pervez Musharraf sacked the chief justice (Mr Chaudhry) who has \"earned a reputation for challenging human rights abuses and government wrongdoing.\" on charges that are probably a trumped up excuse to get rid of a trouble maker.
Remember though. If democracy is restored in Pakistan the voters will most likely favour fundamentalist Islamic parties and Pakistan might move away from being a friend of the U.S.
So do you like freedom and democracy or friendly military dictators?

Well, I don't know how Pakistan is running with a dictatorship, nor do I know of what the people favour, so I don't think I can speak for that.
And I presume that Chaudhry did explain why he thinks dictatorship would \"destroy\".

Freedom is preferable, democracy a nice extra that sometimes even works; \"friendly\" military dictatorships, it basically depends on the dictator. Practically speaking though, whatever results in less violence, then less oppression, is the best alternative - but it is not always easy to tell what that is.

I don't know the details but based on the premise of your question alone it's an easy answer. I'll take a friendly dictator over a democratically elected homicidal religious supremacist nutbag group every time!
Hell, we had an unfriendly dictator in Iraq and the liberal elite are scolding us for getting rid of him (and with the benefit of hindsight I think they may well be right in doing so) so I don't see how anyone who isn't also a religious nutbag of that particular persuasion could think otherwise in the scenario you laid out.

Who cares if Pakistan is not our friend. Just because we're not friends doesn't mean we're enemies. Then again, they're a pack of over emotional 8th graders, so who knows.

Ford Prefect wrote:So do you like freedom and democracy or friendly military dictators?

Asked and answered hundreds of times: The US government LOVES friendly dictators, and hates democracies - because you have to bribe (or, kill, or go to war with) another bunch of idiots each time the public votes in a different flavour.

Honestly, I can't even believe you asked that question Ford.

People.
Pakistan is most probably where Osama bin Ladin is hiding.
Pakistan houses most of the extremist Madrass' that generate Islamic extremist and suicide bombers.
Pakistan is the country where Al Qaida was head quartered before 9/11.
Pakistan had troops fighting along side the Taliban against the Northern Alliance (eventually backed by NATO)
Pakistan has verified nuclear capability and has tested nuclear explosives.
And you people don't know what is \"going on\" with the government of Pervez Musharraf??
Get your head out of your copy of USA Today and find out what is happening in the world.

LOL.

Pervez Musharra is the only man the world more afraid of his nations own nukes that anyone else's

Ford Prefect wrote: Remember though. If democracy is restored in Pakistan the voters will most likely favour fundamentalist Islamic parties and Pakistan might move away from being a friend of the U.S.
So do you like freedom and democracy or friendly military dictators?

hehe, yeah this always make me giggle. We only want to spread freedom if it means ppl are free to do exactly what we want them to. We don't want them to be free, we just want them to be our consumers.

How did Orwell put it, "Freedom is slavery"
Peace through superior firepower = "War is Peace"

We don't want them to be free, we just want them to be our consumers.

I'm not sure about that Roid. It was true back in the fifties but now what the U.S. wants is cheap goods and resources, they are the consumer not the supplier. They don't seem to care about having industry any more. All they want is cheap televisions ,MP3 players and of course oil. The balance of trade in the U.S. has been a disaster for a decade or more and no one seems to care.
A nation living on credit and hoping the next generation can pay the bills.

oh, by \"we\" i guess i was referring to the elite, the powermongers.
The Dick Cheneys of America, champions of the Military Industrial complex. We all think of ourselves as Cheneys, coz that's the image of power we are sold - we are Americans so we are powerful, Dick Cheney he's my man he's American like me we're the same. But we're not the same. By thinking we are powerful is deluding ourselves, our leaders have little loyalty to us.

Honestly i don't think the US as a country knows wtf it wants anymore, and that's the problem. The US as a GROUP OF PEOPLE doesn't exist anymore, it's a nation run by companys - multinationals who have few loyalties, loyalty to it's country is merely a PR stunt coz nothing sells votes like Nationalism.

These elite have agendas much more important than the trivial wants of their drooling voters/consumers. They must remain at the top, so they need a constant supply of profit. A military industrial complex in need of profit? mmmm Iraq sure looks tasty.

How does a capitalist make profit? Increase it's userbase ...


god wtf am i ranting for.

originally in my last post i was just making reference to how hypocritical the rhetoric of freedom is. By \"consumers\" i ment like a peaceful herd of cows. We don't want other nations to be powerful, we'd rather them stfu and suck on our tit. Coz we want to be on top.