Comments on: Bhutto Under House Arrest

By: Chuck Adkins » Short Takes

Chuck Adkins » Short Takes — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:54:10 +0000

[...] Clear Politics, ShrinkWrapped, Soccer Dad, Associated Press, Guardian, The Van Der Galiën Gazette, Outside The Beltway, The Moderate Voice, The Democratic Daily, The American Street, The Pakistan Policy Blog and [...]

By: Cernig

Cernig — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:36:42 +0000

The problem I have with this is that a difference in degree is, indeed, a difference in kind.

No it isn't. If there was an actual difference in kind then we wouldn't have to talk about how much of a difference in degree there might be.

Regards, C

By: The Heretik : Arrested Development

The Heretik : Arrested Development — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:06:09 +0000

[...] You’re under arrest. No doubt it is for her own protection. Or not. Pakistan everday looks more and more like a bad situation [...]

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:33:52 +0000

The problem I have with this is that a difference in degree is, indeed, a difference in kind. The situations are very different and hard to compare.

Oh, absolutely. Bush is pushing the envelope on presidential power in a way that it hasn't been done in quite some time, but he has neither the aspiration nor the ability to become a dictator. America is much less free than I'd prefer, but we're clearly a "free country" by comparison with virtually every other society in the history of the planet. Similarly, the mess at Abu Ghraib and the questionable practices at Guantanimo aren't in the same league as the outrages perpetrated by our enemies. All that said, though, bad action on our part can be exploited by our adversaries. Cries of, "This isn't any different than Abu Ghraib" or "But Bush does it too" may be intellectually dishonest but they're quite effective for propaganda purposes.

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:12:39 +0000

That’s why operating under the rule of law is essential for a free society: An unchecked executive can declare anything he sees fit cause for extreme measures.

That's precisely the argument I've heard from Musharraf's spokesmen being interviewed. They cite U. S. domestic anti-terrorism efforts after 9/11 as models.

The problem I have with this is that a difference in degree is, indeed, a difference in kind. The situations are very different and hard to compare.

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:04:02 +0000

Musharraf is no idiot, he knows he has us between a rock and a hard place. He uses the threat of the radical Islamist threat to justify his continuing grip on power. That resonates with a few people in our government who believe only he stands between AQ/Taliban control of Pakistan's nukes. I've given up on this administration's willingness to do anything to change the situation. Let's see if a Dem administration will do differently.