Bhutto Assassination Tragic and Inevitable
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is tragic news.
But it seems as if it was inevitable.
Her return to Pakistan in October began with the bang of another assassination attempt that killed scores of supporters.
It is a wonder to me sometimes that there are some brave enough to literally put their neck on the line, or as fate would have it, in the line of a bullet, to pursue a political role in so many of the world's countries. Assassinations don't just cut down a life, they too often take a dagger to the hopes of millions, and sometimes start a war.
Pakistan has been viewed by many as the country of biggest concern in that part of the world, not Iran. They have nuclear weapons and an historically fragile government. With Bhutto's assassination, there is great fear the country falls into a turmoil that only serves to strengthen radical influences unsympathetic to the West.
Musharraf will have his hands full. The next few months will be critical.
But it seems as if it was inevitable.
Her return to Pakistan in October began with the bang of another assassination attempt that killed scores of supporters.
It is a wonder to me sometimes that there are some brave enough to literally put their neck on the line, or as fate would have it, in the line of a bullet, to pursue a political role in so many of the world's countries. Assassinations don't just cut down a life, they too often take a dagger to the hopes of millions, and sometimes start a war.
Pakistan has been viewed by many as the country of biggest concern in that part of the world, not Iran. They have nuclear weapons and an historically fragile government. With Bhutto's assassination, there is great fear the country falls into a turmoil that only serves to strengthen radical influences unsympathetic to the West.
Musharraf will have his hands full. The next few months will be critical.
Posted at 12/28/2007 01:44:00 AM UTC
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2 Comment(s):
Asinine Assassination
With the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, once again extremist have grabbed the headlines of the world. Their action has not only taken a bright politician but has highlighted their philosophy which is akin to poisoning the well. They have not advanced their agenda with this brutal murder. They have illustrated their ignorance and a lack of concern for life.
Assassination for political reasons is nothing new. The question is whether it is still, or ever was, a viable method for advancing ideology. Without an easily recognizable philosophy, there is nothing for people to rally behind. It seems a childish move; I can’t have what I want but I can make sure no one else gets what they want. This action will destabilize a politically shaky country. Perhaps that was their goal. Musharraf has shown he is willing to do whatever he can to keep himself in power. Whether it was deliberate or not, he has aligned himself with these extremists. He has let an evil genie out of its bottle. Let’s hope he can control it.
I was sad to see that Bhutto's party nominated her son as the new leader of the party. That just shows how enmired these guys still are in anachronistic, banana-republic style politics. There is no good reason to automatically replace one leader with their completely inexperienced kid. If they are doing it because of the popularity of the newly mythologized Bhutto, it is still a bad idea because one can assume that her son has no ability to govern anything but a Swiss boarding school ski trip or a bachelor party in Monte Carlo.
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