This is what our democracy will look like

In a move typical of military dictatorships parading as functioning democracies, our Pakistani partner in the War on Terror 6.0, has descended into martial law by decree of the president. Musharraf suspends the constitution to curb the "rise of extremism" which no doubt has risen since his ties to Washington have grown more closely. Coincidentally, of course, the suspension of the constitution prevents the Pakistani Supreme Court from ruling on the legality of Musharraf's presidency.

All of this will cause barely a hiccup in U.S./Pakistani relations since all's fair when participating in the War on Terror. Unless, no doubt, you're on the other side, then very similar political actions will be vilified as an example of the enemy's treachery.

The rules are all messed up, and the job of the referee is relegated to the biggest bully.

But this is the honest underbelly of how governments function, democracies or not, and ours will operate no differently when enough danger is presented by whatever opposition to the powers that be. The leaders know that what cannot be mollified through propaganda and bribery must be crushed.

And this is how the War on Terror becomes the Reign of Terror. Menkcken acutely understood the power dynamic when he said "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." Let's hope that Americans have not grown so complacent that martial law becomes an acceptable solution for our hobgoblins.

For an interesting glimpse into the transitory nature of political power and it's dirty tricks, the documentary The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is an invaluable perspective: