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November 4, 2007 at 09:41:46
Pakistan "Emergency" Ban of Constitution, Independent Media-- A Media Emergency In USA Too by Rob Kall Page 1 of 1 page(s) |
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Pakistan should be THE News this morning. But America's mainstream media has pretty much died. Infected by corporatism, it has become the corpstream media-- corpselike and corps controlled. We are living in dangerous times. We have much to fear-- not the the things the Bush administration and the right wing suggest-- but the things the Bush administation and the right wing perpetrate. WE in the new media must do their job. This may look like a major development, but it is really just a shift-- a shift to activating policies, rules and laws that Pervez Musharaf has been putting in place for years-- and that the BUsh administration has been enabling.
The Bush administation, on the surface, selling it's efforts to support Democracy, has, throughout the world, as has long been the policy of right wing American leaders, been, in actuality, supporting dictators, totalitarianism and the diminishing of democracy.
Musharaf's declaration of emergency was responded to by the one democratic member of the Pakistani supreme court. He declared the declaration illegal. Musharaf removed him from office, along with many other outspoken voices. The rest of Musharaf's supreme court backed Musharaf.
This sounds like USA 2000, when the USA Supreme Court named George Bush president. You see, the US sets the example for the rest of the world. What we are seeing happening in Pakistan is an echo of what started in the US.
The Bush administration has given over $10 billion in aid to Pakistan, which Musharaf has put into his military, thus consolidating his power.
Does this remind you of how the US supported Saddam Hussein, in his fight against Iran?
Besides declaring an emergency, suspending the constitution and shutting down independent media, Anti-military rule activists and attorneys were rounded up and arrested. This is a huge setback for democracy, which, frankly, I don't think is of big concern to Bush, deep down. But the PR problem-- that's a different story. But never fear, he's got Condi Rice, the most ineffective, worthless Secretary of State, the most useless diplomatic leader the US has seen in recent history. BUt it's worse than an embarassment to the Bush administration.
It is possible, even likely, that Musharaf, as he twists and turns to build his power base, will reject the US as a partner. Why would he do that? The US has marginalized its power, built such an incredible momentum aimed at attacking Iran, that it is unable to shift it's diplomatic, military and propaganda focus to face the reality that Pakistan, with its fully functioning Nuclear weapons and industry is vastly more dangerous than Iran, with its incipient nuclear technologies.
I've long felt that Bush's diplomatic and military relationship with Pakistan has been the biggest mistake since declaring war on Iraq. Oh. Wait. Declaring war on Iraq wasn't a mistake. It was intentional fraud and engagement in international war crimes--- with the purpose of raising the prices of oil, driving the US voters to manifest their patriotism by loyally supporting a war president, building fear into the way Americans think, and creating a massive boondoggle for companies that supported the Bush administration-- military industrial complex companies which just happened to own the mainstream media, which drummed along, supporting the war lies Bush was selling.
Now, it will be interesting to see how the mainstream media handle the insane situation, where a dictator has taken over a country where Nuclear weapons are locked and loaded. In Pakistan, the dictator has shut down all internal independent media. This morning's news shows in the US are still focusing on Hillary's behavior in the Tuesday debate, in Philly, followed by the fact that South Carolina Democrats spurned Steven Colbert's efforts to get on the Dem primary ballot.
America's mainstream media has pretty much died. Infected by corporatism, it has become the corpstream media-- corpselike and corps controlled. We are living in dangerous times. We have much to fear-- not the the things the Bush administration and the right wing suggest-- but the things the Bush administation and the right wing perpetrate.
Rob Kall is executive editor, publisher and site architect of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, more...)
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
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| 10 comments |
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Our Dilemma
Rob, the U.S. seems to have two choices: Support Pervez Musharraf or allow Sunni Al Qaeda and Sunni Taliban, which have taken over northwest Pakistan to fully take over nuclear Pakistan now. Which choice do you recommend? by Karen Fish (55 articles, 14 quicklinks, 41 diaries, 106 comments) on Sunday, Nov 4, 2007 at 11:40:28 AM  (0+)
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Reply: MUSHARRAF = AL QAEDA = TALIBAN
- Different names for the same mental concept -- naming an Option of One -- does not a "dilemma" make. Americans should support Option, the Second: Bhutto, voting, elections, and democracy in Pakistan. Sheesh, a no-brainer. - by meremark (1 articles, 3 quicklinks, 30 diaries, 572 comments [22 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Nov 4, 2007 at 12:27:54 PM (0+)
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Reply: Sorry try again to win the girlie a Kewpy doll
Wrong, not even close and no ceegar Pakistan is a far more complex country than your comment suggests. It is a patchwork of Clan, tribal loyalties, religious zealotry, appallingly poor, indemicly corrupt politician, power mad factionally torn military and a corporate sector which is (not surprisingy greedy and in for their chop) all of which are in varing degrees fractiousness and discontentedness. Over layed on this is a are external countries' political interests and national pride. Neither is it prudent or wise describing/defining any middle eastern or specifically Asian Countries simplistically or by what is obvious. Therefore any 'instant' solution seeking involving specifically Pakistan is a bit like trying to defuse a nuke without the manual or real knowledge. It could end badly! Pakistan is trully more that the sum of its parts. I would respectfully suggest youresearch more and not just amongst the sensation al axe grinding media. by Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 531 comments) on Sunday, Nov 4, 2007 at 4:30:07 PM (0+)
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Reply: My goodness can you not think of multiple choice?
This is far from a choice of two disparate and equally objectionable paths and you certainly must know this if you are at all a politically involved person. Firstly we do not even know for certain that the violent actions in Pakistan derive from AlQaeda or from a Mushariff bid to retake power that was slipping away from him. Secondly Pakistan had been democratizing in fits and starts for a while now and the return of Bhutto certainly gave impetus to this process picking up speed. Thirdly there are no known instances of any AlQaeda taking credit for the violence that has occured in Pakistan. I must conclude, unfortunately, that your stance in this matter indicates support for the further waving of the "terrorists are stealing our children" school of politics and shows support for Bush policies that actually make us less safe rather than more. by ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments) on Sunday, Nov 4, 2007 at 3:57:41 PM (0+)
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Rob, link info shows Pakistan is the USA CIA government
by meremark (1 articles, 3 quicklinks, 30 diaries, 572 comments [22 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Nov 4, 2007 at 12:21:35 PM (0+)
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The smell of American Apple pie.
The rise and fall of every empire. At what point do you realize that your country – or any other for that matter – is doomed. Was Iraq under Sadam doomed? Was Iran under the Sha doomed or now under Ahmadenijad? Was Panama under Noriega doomed? Was Chile under Pinochet doomed? Is Pakistan under Musharaf doomed? (ALL OF THEM SPONSORED-FUNDED BY THE USA.) How about us? Are we doomed under the Neo-Cons and the Bush cartel? Yes. The answer to all of the above is a resounding yes. They/We were/are doomed. The radical right wing factions of the world are all the same, with the same intentions in mind, Imperialism-Fascism-Militarism-Hegemony. With a little help from the cleric. Who is copying who’s playbook. Pakistan copying from the US or is the US going to copy from Pakistan in 2008 as we near the presidential elections. My bet is that Bush is going to do something stupid –as usual – with Iran, and ultimately declare a State of Emergency – Marshal Law and suspend the 2008 elections. Pakistan – US. - Burma hard to tell the difference. Eerie. Scary. Unnatural. Apocalyptic. Destructive. Ungodly. That is what the right wing factions around the world are. Place your bets…. Will we have US presidential elections in 08? YES - NO - by Frank gr (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 50 comments) on Sunday, Nov 4, 2007 at 12:33:31 PM (0+)
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You were warned
Rob, Way back when Bush was here in Austria er He meant Australia for OPEC er he meant APEC that was the time he dispensed his wisdom on who Australia should vote for even though he didn't know who the opposition leader was or his policies. I warned OpedNews that Asia in specific China and Pakistan were the real "WILD Cards"in world peace you see both have Nukes and Pakistan hasn't been deterred from sharing the knowledge as had Nth Krorea. Back then martial Law and stolen Democracy was obvious. Yet editorial delayed the article for days then rejected it as being " Past it's news useby date". It is said we get the news we deserve. If we are myopic and sensationalized , trivialized, self absorbed then don't be surprised if we are simply giving our media license to be the same. I wonder how many readers of OPed still have cable etc? So long as people continue to buy so the lamestreet media will continue to serve it up. by Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 531 comments) on Sunday, Nov 4, 2007 at 3:39:45 PM (0+)
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New media
"New media"! What a wonderful phrase. Lets make it happen. solidarity, Bill by W. Christopher Epler (Bill) (291 articles, 59 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 767 comments [44 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Nov 4, 2007 at 8:47:34 PM (0+)
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Better News Reporting at BBC Online
I don't watch TV and only listen to radio news regularly during the 6 months per year I am in Canada - and that's the hourly snips on a classical radio station (Toronto). My source for news is BBC News Online (http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ) Occasionally I look at a US website when following a link to a story from other site like OpEdNews.com or Rational Review News (http://www.rationalreview.com/news) Just because I'm a USer in the US does not mean I am relegated to getting my news from US sources. That may have been true even 10 years ago but no longer. I find the coverage far more complete - covering a subject from various angles - at BBC News Online. So I say that for those who are disgusted with those US media sources that fail to cover news items sufficiently or at all, get your news elsewhere - and let the TV/radio networks/stations and newspapers know that you are doing so and why. by Kitty Antonik Wakfer (26 articles, 27 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 163 comments [15 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Nov 5, 2007 at 1:06:25 AM (0+)
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Cowboy vision: no shades of gray
Our current cowboy-in-chief admits he reads no newspapers and thinks with his gut. His desire for simplistic, simple-minded solutions to complex problems is the equivalent of handing a chimp a scapel and letting him operate on a brain tumor. Quite messy. by M. Davis (63 articles, 3 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 221 comments [4 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Nov 5, 2007 at 12:21:04 PM (0+)
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