Scary Stuff

[intertext]

I see that Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated. I'm not terribly surprised - in some ways, I'm amazed she's lasted this long (sorry if that sounds cynical). But it's scary. It would be less so if the idiot leader of that country to the south of us could be relied on NOT to do something stupid.

Comments

[a-d-medievalist.livejournal.com]

Well, considering that he keeps saying Musharref is our friend, I doubt there will be any major reaction, let alone saber-rattling.

[intertext.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's true. I just get nervous when I hear him talking about wiping out terrorism and protecting democracy in other countries. So often that means "let's go in and interfere where we have no particular business just so that we can show that we can piss further than anyone else."

[gillo]

It's oddly reminiscent of Rajiv Gandhi, or even Bobby Kennedy - it was never so much "if" as "when". But I'm worried that Pakistan could descend into civil war or some chaotic mess. Hard to see how Musharraf will go ahead with his election now - but that alone could lead to catastrophe. And western leaders will support him till the last rat leaves the ship, as they did the Shah.

[intertext.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think descent into civil war is the great fear. And of course with Pakistan being a nuclear power... Brrrr.

[lidocafe.livejournal.com]

Wow, but I agree that it was bound to happen--they've been killing her family since the seventies. A long time ago, Salman Rushdie wrote an excellent novel about the Bhuttos, among other things, called Shame. have you read it?

[intertext.livejournal.com]

Yes, indeed.

[sjkasabi.livejournal.com]

I'm not terribly surprised - in some ways, I'm amazed she's lasted this long

That's exactly what I thought when I heard the news on the radio this morning. But still - worrying on so many levels, yes.