Finally Today

Democracy or U.S. interest; what prevails?

Over the weekend Pakistan’s Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared a State of Emergency because of rising Islamic extremism and he suspended their Constitution and as of this writing some 500 people –including journalists, opposition leaders and judges— have already been arrested in what can only be called a purge against the enemies of Gen. Musharraf. Among those arrested were acting President Javed Hashmi of the Party of former Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif; Asma Jehangir, chairman of the Independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan; Hamid Bul, former chief of the Main Intelligence Agency, all critics of Musharraf. But wait! I thought that Gen. Musharraf declared an emergency because of Islamic extremists? How come we haven’t heard of a single Islamic extremist in the list of those he ordered arrested? Worse, I got a report that some 211 Pakistani soldiers held by terrorist groups in tribal territories were freed in exchange for 28 terrorists, including failed suicide bombers just a few days ago. Surely Gen. Musharraf realizes that the whole world knows that his ulterior motive is really to stay in power as long as he wants to. Gen. Musharraf who came to power by virtue of a military coup that he waged against duly elected Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Oct.12, 1999. But knowing that the Supreme Court was about to decide on the fate of his presidency he then threw away Pakistan’s democracy into the wind! There is no doubt that Gen. Musharraf’s popularity has gone so low that he knows too well that he can’t stay in power longer than December. But what’s allowing Gen. Musharraf his tenuous hold in power is the fact that Gen. Musharraf knows that the United States government considers him as their greatest ally in the war against terror. As they say, proof of the pudding is in the eating and since the infamous 9/11 tragedy, the US has given Pakistan a total of US$ 11 billion in mostly military aid. Compare what the US has given to Pakistan and the Philippines. From the very words of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who said on March 2004: “When I first became President in 2001, I inherited a commitment of military assistance from the US of US$ 1.9 million only. Today, that American assistance to our military support is now US$400 million and still counting.” All told, the Philippines received a total of US$ 145.8 million from 2001 to 2005 in Foreign Military Financing and an additional of US$ 11.5 million in military training. Supposedly for the year 2006, we are slated to get some US$20 million in FMF. Yes, we got the proverbial “drop-in-the-bucket” despite what US President George Bush said during his State visit to the Philippines in Oct. 2004 that we a “Major non-NATO ally in the second front of the war against terrorism” and with this stirring words, he pledged to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines. How I wish that he was sincere in this call. However according to the latest report I got from the Internet, the US delivered US$ 67.6 million in military equipment to the Philippines between the years 2001 to 2003. Truth to tell, that figure could hardly upgrade the entire AFP. Sure we got those new UH-1H Huey helicopters to replace those that fell down because of kite-flying children. But this is nothing compared to what the US gives to Pakistan annually or even the US$ 3 billion a year it gives to Israel! What’s happening in Pakistan today is causing a major embarrassment to the Bush administration as it clearly reveals that the American style of Democracy isn’t really that important to the Americans. Rather more important than having a country follow a democratic process is their adherence to US interests. Remember that old phrase that was often pinned on Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos during his years as a dictator? Americans regarded Pres. Marcos “Pres. Marcos maybe a sonofabitch, but he is our sonofabitch!” While I submit that the majority of Filipinos believe that we are the brown brothers of Americans, however the reality is, we are merely second-class citizens as far as the geopolitical game on the war of terror is concerned. Pakistan still gets the lion’s share of US military aid, while we get peanuts! So much for US democracy. US interests play a higher role in this game. @LUMISHER. The only war they've won is fooling their own people...

Public Comments

1. us interest seems to prevail. but, not to worry, despite being a so called super power. most wars america has engaged in, they have lost. makes you think, doesn't it!
2. U.S. interest. the us used to be one of the leaders in human rights but look what happened when the fear took over the country.
3. This sounds like a political statement not a question. What was that source you got you information off the net? You make a broad statement and highly prejudicial statement about American and Americans. We have an unpopular president now and for one will be glad when his term is over. But we don't overthrow our leaders we use democracy, We vote them out. We are American not Pakistani or Filipino though some of us come from these and other countries. But we come here for a better life. We change we evolve and grow.
4. Mark Twain would consul Gen. Musharraf:'"The only good lawyer is one that takes up residency in the graveyard"! Maybe that is our problem here the ACLU wants to release terrorists who they'll defend! The military in their eyes are the terrorists, listen to Senator John Kerry and his rabble!