Reply #12: You are not particularly strong in presenting arguments, are you? [View All]

[allemand]

I can't find one concrete argument about the situation in Pakistan in your post. Obviously, you have to keep it on a very abstract level, because you don't know that much about Pakistan.

I was indeed too young to have an opinion about the US supporting Saddam at the time, but retrospectively I do think that helping him to stay in power was a very bad idea, as was US support for military dictatorships in Chile, Indonesia, or the coup against Mossadeq, etc.

However, the explosive combination of nuclear weapons and widespread support for islamists in Pakistan means that thinking about democracy in that country cannot remain on an abstract level - or you end up with an islamist government in power. The danger, simply put, is another Algeria, but this time with nuclear weapons.
Paradoxically, supporting a reform-minded Musharraf government willing to make peace with India over Kashmir may be the quickest and safest way to a complete restoration of democracy (and perhaps with a lesser degree of corruption than under Sharif and Bhutto). To be sustained, democracy needs a strong middle class, which can only be achieved through economic development. Another reason to help Pakistan economically.

Pakistan also seems to have a pretty lively press, for example from time to time I enjoy reading critical articles in The Daily Times which I don't find in the American press. This is a very healthy sign.
Of course, democracy in Pakistan should be a long term goal for US foreign policy and help for the government should include demands for upholding freedom of the press and taking further steps towards democracy.
Once we have a strong pro-democracy movement in Pakistan I will be happy to support it, but under present circumstances all we seem to have is a strong fundamentalist movement.