Could Musharraf’s Actions Be a Dry Run for Bushco? By Reggie, Contributing Editor, TvNewsLIES.org

Could Musharraf’s Actions Be a Dry Run for Bushco?

A question posed by Reggie, Contributing Editor, TvNewsLIES.org

Does any thinking person really believe that the President of Pakistan is able to make ANY political or military decision without the approval, if not the actual direction of the US Government?

The answer is so damned obvious as to be childish: NO, HE CANNOT… because US dollars protect Pervez Musharraf and keep him in power. The 700 MILLION dollars in economic and military assistance the US gave to Musharraf this year alone are most definitely not an altruistic gift that comes without strings. The 800 million dollars scheduled to reach the Pakistani government in 2008 will guarantee that Musharraf continues to do exactly what the Bush administration wants. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that President/General Musharraf would not last a day in office without US aid and protection. Not a single day.

In fact, the financial ties between the US and Pakistan create a cooperative, albeit symbiotic relationship between the two nations. In the two years after 2001, US aid to Pakistan increased by a whopping $ 224 million! Aid of this sort is guaranteed so long as the leadership plays ball with the US and supports its foreign policy to the letter. That is standard foreign policy operation, and is no different for all the countries that formed the coalition of the ‘willing’ in Bush’s war against Iraq.

But not all goes as planned, as Bushco never seems to understand. The recent conflict over Musharraf’s retention of both a military uniform and a political role has stirred up opposition that this administration was not about to tolerate. Musharraf is an absolutely essential figure in the control that the US exerts of Pakistan. His power, however titled, must be maintained, but a victory in the January, 2008 elections could not be guaranteed because of rising opposition from a whole spectrum of political and ideological groups within the country.

So, the US arranged for the return to Pakistan of former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto. She would run for office via an agreement with Musharraf and continue her sycophantic support of the Bush administration. Bhutto’s self exile following charges of major corruption notwithstanding, the US was going to ensure the elections of its purchased puppets in the January elections. Bush strategically had seen to it that Bhutto received full amnesty and that all criminal charges against her would be dropped.

As it turned out, Bhutto was welcomed by a violent attack by those who opposed her return that killed scores of her supporters. At the same time, Islamic militants were out to depose Musharraf, and supporters of democracy within Pakistan were making loud noises of opposition as well. Among these were defenders of Supreme Court Justice Iftikar Chaudhary who was fired and placed under house arrest after resisting attempts to curb the independence of the Pakistani judiciary.

So, as things got really out of hand, our dictator-ally in charge of a nuclear bomb found himself in some real political turmoil. In response, Musharraf suspended the Pakistani constitution and as well as all civil rights throughout his country, and established martial law in a desperate attempt to hold on to power.

According to the AP, Musharraf’s restrictions covered:

· Protection of life and liberty.

· The right to free movement.

· The right of detainees to be informed of their offense and given access to lawyers.

· Protection of property rights.

· The right to assemble in public.

· The right to free speech.

· Equal rights for all citizens before law and equal legal protection.

· Media coverage of suicide bombings and militant activity is curtailed by new rules. Broadcasters also face a three-year jail term if they “ridicule” members of the government or armed forces.

To top it off, Musharraf announced plans to postpone new elections for a full year!

DOESN’T THIS ALL SOUND TOO DAMN FAMILIAR????????

Since 9/11, so many of these same rights have been eroded right here in the United States! We have lost our precious right of habeas corpus and the protection of the Fourth Amendment. Our government has regularly breached Constitutional and International Law with impunity. Both through the passage of actual laws such as the Military Commissions Act of 2006, and by the abuse of Presidential Directives and Signing Statements, the US Constitution has been gradually and successfully eviscerated by this administration.

Not only have the rights of Americans been violated and restricted, but plans have been put in place for future suspension of what remains of checks and balances among the branches of our government, and for the declaration of martial law in this country, exactly as it now has been installed in Pakistan.

Which brings me to the logical question posed by this article:

Could the events in Pakistan be a testing ground for what Bushco might be planning in the US to avoid the consequences of fair and democratic elections here in 2008?

Understand that none of Musharraf’s actions could have been implemented without the approval of the Bush administration. Understand as well that Condy Rice has announced that these actions will not mean the discontinuation of aid to the government of Pakistan.

She told reporters, “ We have to be very cognizant of the fact that some of the assistance that has been going to Pakistan is directly related to the counter-terrorism mission…” In other words, anything and everything is acceptable in the name of fighting terror!

Remember that.

And then consider the possibility that a successful return to total dictatorship in Pakistan would bode well for those who are loathe to relinquish the power they have worked so hard to acquire in this criminal administration. The only differences between the actions of the two governments are the relative transparency and speed of their destruction of democracy. Musharraf openly took over in a day. Bushco has secretly eaten away at our freedoms for nearly seven years.

But then again, there is one more major difference. Pakistani lawyers and other protesters, much like the brave Buddhist priests of Myanmar, have taken to the streets. Thousands are being beaten, gassed and arrested as I write, but they will not sit quietly and allow their government to destroy the democracy they crave without a fight. That just doesn’t happen here in very large numbers, and when it does, the media ignore those who turn out and in the end, no one really cares and absolutely nothing changes.

Maybe, just maybe, this is a dry run to see what happens when democracy is sacrificed in the name of national security. Maybe, just maybe the international response to the events in Pakistan will be a test of such reaction should it happen here.

And maybe, if it happens, Americans will quietly pass across the subtle divide into full dictatorship without a murmur. And maybe not. Maybe, just maybe, they, too will stand up and be counted.

Judging from the past few years, it’s hard to tell. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Reference:

Required Reading for Bush Supporters!

Very good points

Let's not forget PDD51

Bush Re-Authorizes Martial Law Provisions
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/may2007/230507martiallaw.htm

National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 9, 2007

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html

Also let's not forget

US National ID Cards by May 2008

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=LEV20061...

http://www.infowars.com/articles/ps/nat_id_cards_by_2008.htm

http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/911/

http://papersplease.org

http://unrealid.com/

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The CONSTITUTION is NOT going to "collapse" into pulverized dust no matter how much thermate/explosives or planes they throw at it

If not a dry run it serves

If not a dry run it serves as a great model of what to expect. That means bad news and good news. Bad news is that BushCo might try to seize absolute power; good news, they're going to fail. Let's hope the mess can be managble.

reference to Abe Lincoln in Musharraf speech?

It's a dry run.

The reference to Abe Lincoln in Musharraf's speech, gives it away! The speech was probably written with the assistance of our diplomats.

...don't believe them!

Except "Bush bashing" misses half the story.

You don't think these things were happening throughout the 90s?

You don't think these things were happening when Democrats controlled (and control) the Congress?

It's very easy to point your finger at the front man and miss all the behind the scenes treasonous activity.

The Democrats have been as traitorous and as much an enemy to civil liberties as their Republican butt buddies.

We need to move past the Coke v. Pepsi framing.

For the record

Coke is better than Pepsi

Can a collapsing dollar lead to Martial Law?

A financial 911?

What event or events may trigger PDD51 and invoke Emergency rule in the US?

Pls look at this. I believe it is relevant and on-topic.

Is a "Democratic" Congress doing anything to STOP this?

7 Countries Considering Abandoning the US Dollar (and what it means)
http://www.gcnlive.com/AGLDoffer.htm

By Jessica Hupp

It’s no secret that the dollar is on a downward spiral. Its value is dropping, and the Fed isn’t doing a whole lot to change that. As a result, a number of countries are considering a shift away from the dollar to preserve their assets. These are seven of the countries currently considering a move from the dollar, and how they’ll have an effect on its value and the US economy.

Saudi Arabia: The Telegraph reports that for the first time, Saudi Arabia has refused to cut interest rates along with the US Federal Reserve. This is seen as a signal that a break from the dollar currency peg is imminent. The kingdom is taking “appropriate measures” to protect itself from letting the dollar cause problems for their own economy. They’re concerned about the threat of inflation and don’t want to deal with “recessionary conditions” in the US. Hans Redeker of BNP Paribas believes this creates a “very dangerous situation for the dollar,” as Saudi Arabia alone has management of $800 billion. Experts fear that a break from the dollar in Saudi Arabia could set off a “stampede” from the dollar in the Middle East, a region that manages $3,500 billion. South Korea: In 2005, Korea announced its intention to shift its investments to currencies of countries other than the US. Although they’re simply making plans to diversify for the future, that doesn’t mean a large dollar drop isn’t in the works. There are whispers that the Bank of Korea is planning on selling $1 billion US bonds in the near future, after a $100 million sale this past August.

China: After already dropping the dollar peg in 2005, China has more trouble up its sleeve. Currently, China is threatening a “nuclear option” of huge dollar liquidation in response to possible trade sanctions intended to force a yuan revaluation. Although China “doesn’t want any undesirable phenomenon in the global financial order,” their large sum of US dollars does serve as a “bargaining chip.” As we’ve noted in the past, China has the power to take the wind out of the dollar.

Venezuela: Venezuela holds little loyalty to the dollar. In fact, they’ve shown overt disapproval, choosing to establish barter deals for oil. These barter deals, established under Hugo Chavez, allow Venezuela to trade oil with 12 Latin American countries and Cuba without using the dollar, shorting the US its usual subsidy. Chavez is not shy about this decision, and has publicly encouraged others to adopt similar arrangements. In 2000, Chavez recommended to OPEC that they “take advantage of high-tech electronic barter and bi-lateral exchanges of its oil with its developing country customers,” or in other words, stop using the dollar, or even the euro, for oil transactions. In September, Chavez instructed Venezuela’s state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA to change its dollar investments to euros and other currencies in order to mitigate risk.

Sudan: Sudan is, once again, planning to convert its dollar holdings to the euro and other currencies. Additionally, they’ve recommended to commercial banks, government departments, and private businesses to do the same. In 1997, the Central Bank of Sudan made a similar recommendation in reaction to US sactions from former President Clinton, but the implementation failed. This time around, 31 Sudanese companies have become subject to sanctions, preventing them from doing trade or financial transactions with the US. Officially, the sanctions are reported to have little effect, but there are indications that the economy is suffering due to these restrictions. A decision to move Sudan away from the dollar is intended to allow the country to work around these sanctions as well as any implemented in the future. However, a Khartoum committee recently concluded that proposals for a reduced dependence on the dollar are “not feasible.” Regardless, it is clear that Sudan’s intent is to attempt a break from the dollar in the future.

Iran: Iran is perhaps the most likely candidate for an imminent abandonment of the dollar. Recently, Iran requested that its shipments to Japan be traded for yen instead of dollars. Further, Iran has plans in the works to create an open commodity exchange called the Iran Oil Bourse. This exchange would make it possible to trade oil and gas in non-dollar currencies, the euro in particular. Athough the oil bourse has missed at least three of its announced opening dates, it serves to make clear Iran’s intentions for the dollar. As of October 2007, Iran receives non-dollar currencies for 85% of its oil exports, and has plans to move the remaining 15% to currencies like the United Arab Emirates dirham.

Russia: Iran is not alone in its desire to establish an alternative to trading oil and other commodities in dollars. In 2006, Russian President Vladmir Putin expressed interest in establishing a Russian stock exchange which would allow “oil, gas, and other goods to be paid for in Roubles.” Russia’s intentions are no secret–in the past, they’ve made it clear that they’re wary of holding too many dollar reserves. In 2004, Russian central bank First Deputy Chairmain Alexei Ulyukayev remarked, “Most of our reserves are in dollars, and that’s a cause for concern.” He went on to explain that, after considering the dollar’s rate against the euro, Russia is “discussing the possibility of changing the reserve structure.” Then in 2005, Russia put an end to its dollar peg, opting instead to move towards a euro alignment. They’ve discussed pricing oil in euros, a move that could provide a large shift away from the dollar and towards the euro, as Russia is the world’s second-largest oil exporter.

What does this all mean?

Countries are growing weary of losing money on the falling dollar. Many of them want to protect their financial interests, and a number of them want to end the US oversight that comes with using the dollar. Although it’s not clear how many of these countries will actually follow through on an abandonment of the dollar, it is clear that its status as a world currency is in trouble.

Obviously, an abandonment of the dollar is bad news for the currency. Simply put, as demand lessens, its value drops. Additionally, the revenue generated from the use of the dollar will be sorely missed if it’s lost. The dollar’s status as a cheaply-produced US export is a vital part of our economy. Losing this status could rock the financial lives of both Americans and the worldwide economy.

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The CONSTITUTION is NOT going to "collapse" into pulverized dust no matter how much thermate/explosives or planes they throw at it

The sky is not falling

Knock it off.

Get a grip.

Eat a dill pickle, it will do wonders for your outlook on life. (seriously)

Good luck with that.

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Senior 9/11 Bureau Chief, Analyst, Correspondent, Principle Investigator, Forensic 9/11ologist

To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men. — Abraham Lincoln

Secrecy is the beginning of tyranny. — Robert Heinlein