Saturday, March 29, 2008

An Unlikely Figurehead


This week, President Mursharraf spoke at the 13th COMSTECH Assembly; an organization geared towards promoting the technological exchange between first and third world countries. Among the various issues he discussed at the conference he called for the “end of discriminatory distribution of economic resources in the world to eliminate extremism and the sense of deprivation” and claimed that “the Muslim world must initiate dialogue with the West to clear current misperceptions.” What the hell was COMSTECH thinking when they asked Mursharraf to speak at this conference?

Asking Mursharraf to promote the end of inequality is tantamount to former president, William Taft (a 340 LB modern-day Buddha), promoting a healthier American diet with a giant fried chicken leg in one hand and vestiges of Crisco in the other. I suppose that someone who has firsthand experience stealing from the poor to give to the rich would know a thing or two about discriminatory distribution. And hey, who better to tell the West that their perception of a backwards and oppressive Eastern society is all wrong? He could make that speech right before his two O’ clock appointment to sack the judiciary, dismiss parliament and execute some political prisoners – you know, the daily routine stuff.

I’m not saying the president is wrong and I completely understand why Pakistan, a leading industrializer in the Middle East, would be asked to talk about technology sharing, but come on - Mursharraf? This is the guy you want spearheading your initiatives? See if you can book the prime minister next time and save the president some time. He has too many military operations to cover up as it is!

1 comment:

B.Kuz said...

I found it funny how Musharraf came on Jon Stewart's Daily Show to promote his book.