Democracy's Here! Yay!
Man, it's been an exhilarating few weeks, hasn't it? After chafing under the rule of unelected and unrepresentative power brokers wearing Khakis for eight years, we've finally got a political system we can all be proud of. I mean, just like Nawaz Sharif says, only elected representatives of the people have the right to formulate policies on important issues like the economy and fighting militancy. That's why every important national decision taken since February 18 has been made by Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, two leaders who have garnered precisely zero votes in the latest elections. It's also why Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif have become co-spokesperson for the Government and the State of Pakistan. Yay for us! Power to the people!
Look, I'm sorry if I sound particularly snarky. It's perfectly acceptable to wish for Musharraf's exit from the national scene - I myself have done so here and here. But let's please stop pretending that we are suddenly under the rule of a democratic government. All we have done is replace one powerful unelected leader with two powerful unelected leaders.
Look, I'm sorry if I sound particularly snarky. It's perfectly acceptable to wish for Musharraf's exit from the national scene - I myself have done so here and here. But let's please stop pretending that we are suddenly under the rule of a democratic government. All we have done is replace one powerful unelected leader with two powerful unelected leaders.
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Pakistan
11 comments:
are you ever happy?
absolutely! give me slims chilli chips, a bottle of chilled pakola, a dvd of bangalore 2005, and watch me smile!
Aren't you forgetting one ingredient to Ahsan Happiness?
I think this is a victory for democracy. Free and fair elections. No tampering. The esteemed Chief Justice being released from house arrest. This will surely be followed by the restoration of the judiciary as the final phase of bringing the country out of the trouble which Musharraf put it in.
Cheers for the lawyer's movement and its supporters! Sure Zardari and Nawaz are not ideel. But a country would rather have a democratically elected power-hungry politician than a self-appointed, unchecked power-hungry politician.
Aitzaz Ahsan for PM!
Pleae delete my preceding post. I was being facetious. I dont subscribe to any of the above opinions. Was just trying to imitate a typical optimist right now. The joke kind of failed since I used my name.
we dont believe in deleting comments unless they are of a malicious nature. the comments stand.
does this joke fail?
Do you believe in answering questions?
I love how facetious everyone is - I myself subscribe to this same brand of snarkiness - some call it pessimism, I just deem it "reality." Yeah yeah, we had elections. We elected a prime minister. We released the judges. Let's all dance around a fire now and sing Kumbaya. The reality is that we've achieved the superficial notions of democracy and have yet to address (in rhetoric or policy) the issues really plaguing the country - fix the inflation, the security issue, the infrastructure - and THEN I'll be a believer.
Chup:
My demands are even more limited than that. I'm not even concerned with the efficacy of the government in dealing with day-to-day problems, only its so-called democratic credentials. For months on end, we were told that dictatorship is evil and that only elected representatives of the people should be allowed to govern. Fine. Let's see them govern, then. Why are two unelected people making EVERY important decision there is to make in the country? Can someone please explain to me how this is substantively different from Musharraf's era?
again, i recall gramsci...the "formal" vs the "substantial".
Some of my landlord friends have got in touch with me , absolutely ecstatic, chanting, ''the good old days are back!'' That means their gun licenses, govt plates, and absolute freedom to do whatever the fuck they want are back! Yay indeed ahsan, yay indeed.
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