Song of the Day: Pathanay Khan

The great Pakistani singer Panthanay Khan:

The Mid-Range Consequences of Bush's Foreign Policy Taking Shape in South Asia

Even before his departure, there was plenty of talk from both Bush's supporters and his opponents about what his "legacy" would be. Since Obama's inaugural, we've already seen some of the immediate short-term consequences of Bush's administration - most notably, the economic collapse and the emergence of the issue of torture, but also other matters like Obama having to try to repair the U.S.'s reputation in Latin America after 8 years of arrogance and ignorance.

It seems we can add to that Bush's foreign policy's effects on the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the possibility of the Taliban gaining access to nuclear materials in the case of the latter. By rushing the U.S. to war in Iraq in late 2002 and 2003 under the banner of 9/11 without actually focusing on the country that actually was home to bin Laden is undoubtedly one of Bush's most egregious foreign policy blunders. The issue of whether the war in Afghanistan was "just" or not is not necessarily relative here; the fact is, by prosecuting a half-hearted effort from the White House while putting all the efforts on Iraq and then having to spend the past 6 years trying to clean up the mess, the Bush administration undoubtedly left the door open for the events that we're seeing now in Afghanistan and Pakistan. What is more, the bullying and indefnsible aggression of Bush not just in Iraq, but in talks about Iran, Hamas, and other groups has most likely made us even more enemies in Southern Asia, perhaps aiding the Taliban's efforts and giving it even more support than it would have gained had we actually had an intelligent leader employing actual diplomatic intelligence and reason.

Things are certainly too unclear to attempt to accurately predict what will happen in Afghanistan, and especially Pakistan. But while people's freak out because over 1000 people out of over six billion are sick worldwide, the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan is becoming more precarious. With over 6 years passed now since the war in Iraq began, it's undeniable that the Iraq War deterred the employment of resources to Afghanistan, while our constant support of Pervez Musharraf even in the face of eroding support endeared us to very few in Pakistan. Thus, while things are still in movement right now, we're already beginning to see the potential long-term damage of the Bush administration's foreign policy.

It's Abraham Lincoln's Fault That John Wilkes Booth Killed Him. He Should Have Known Not To Go To The Theatre

Lost in all the nonsense about Mike Wallace's interview with Roger Clemens on 60 Minutes is another segment in which Pervez Musharraf blames Benazir Bhutto for her own assassination. Why is it her fault? She should have known better than to stand up in public.

I don't really have much to add here. What can you really say? But Musharraf is beyond reprehensible and it really should be a key aim of U.S. foreign policy to get him to step down.

Because Joseph Stalin Died, We Should Maintain Our Current Health Care System

Mike Huckabee is arguing that we need to close the border because of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

What do these things have in common? Oh yes, absolutely nothing at all.

Allow me to propose some other non-sequitur Huckabee-esque policy proposals:

Because Fidel Castro took over Cuba in 1959, we should ban tobacco.

Because that tiger killed that kid in San Francisco, we should overturn the Endangered Species Act.

Because recent snow storms have delayed air traffic around the nation, we should ensure continued low mileage per gallon standards on vehicles

Because Adolf Hitler managed to survive World War I, we should engage in more wars in order to kill future, unknown dictators.

With policy positions like these, I could be a leading Republican presidential candidate!

Bhutto

I am far from an expert on Pakistan and I await to read real commentary on the blogosphere on the Bhutto assassination, I have one question.

At what point do we pull our support of Musharraf? If not now, when? I heard one interesting comparison a month ago or so of Musharraf to the Shah. Like Iran in the late 70s, the US is supporting an increasingly unstable and untenable dictatorship because it supports our ends in a global conflict. But such support builds huge anti-American sentiment while not actually helping to prop up the dictator in question.

This is pretty bad, regardless of Bhutto's qualities, or lack thereof.