Benazir Bhutto

A few thoughts on the passing of Benazir Bhutto:

1. The official Pakastani government report says she was killed by a skull fracture and a concussion from the suicide bomber blast. That may be different from the eyewitness reports, but hey, it's the official government report.

2. Do you know why everyone here in the States is so sad about this? She represented hope. Lately, President Musharraf's regime has been presented as the corrupting influence, and anyone running against him would be good for a stabilizing democracy. So, with the enemy of my enemy being my friend, Ms. Bhutto was set up to be a friend of the US. Which is what Mr. Musharraf's regime was in the aftermath of 9/11.....

3. I keep hearing people ask if America is ready for a female president. Pakistan had one in 1988. When I was in second grade, Jimmy Carter met with female heads of state in England and Iceland. Argentina just elected a female head of state. I'm OK with people asking if Hillary Clinton is the best choice for President, but if a fundamentalist Muslim state can have a female head of state, why can't an "open-minded" society like ours have one?

4. Just read this and think about unintended consequences of actions:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080107/truthdig

5. Why does the US keep trying to influence elections in other countries when we don't fully understand those other countries?