Musharraf Steals Bush Playbook

It must be particularly bothersome to the Bush Administration that Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, has apparently stolen the Bush playbook on usurping power. If Musharraf's move didn't hold such serious ramifications for the rest of us, it would almost be comical. The situation does, however, provide a valuable lesson on why abuse of power should never be tolerated, even when terrorism is used as its justification.

Musharraf has suspended the Pakistani Constitution and its protections in the name of fighting extremists and the ever-increasing wave of terrorism that is spreading in his country. He's already survived two fairly sophisticated assassination attempts, so one can understand why Musharaff would be fearful for his own safety.

Musharraf justified his suspension of constitutional protections, in part, by pointing out that our very own Abraham Lincoln found it necessary to suspend habeas corpus and other civil liberties during our Civil War. He didn't target the Bush Administration specifically, but the reference to past presidential action in similar circumstances was a veiled reminder that, today, the same thing is happening in America, with the seeming approval of the American people. If such action is acceptable in America in the name of fighting terrorism, why not Pakistan?

The man's got a point, but there are flaws in his thinking. Musharraf is wrong in misjudging the level of dissent in this country - there are millions of people opposed to the Bush-Cheney assault on civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism. He's also wrong, just as Bush and Cheney and their followers are, that suspension of civil liberties and constitutional protections are the solution for effectively fighting terrorism. In fact, just the opposite is true.

Suppression of individual freedoms and liberty, added with unchecked government authority, actually encourages the abuse of power and leads to greater government oppression over its citizens. The more government restricts the lives of its citizens, the madder the citizenry will become. Frustration and bitterness foment, and then hate ensues. In short order, hate seeks an outlet, and terrorism is that outlet.

President Musharraf doesn't get the fact that suppressing the liberties of his people will not make he or them safer, but you can't blame him for reaching that conclusion since he's taken it straight from the playbook of the current Bush Administration.