What western leaders could have done.....
A good point by Bernard-Henry Levy....
The best, the most beautiful way of responding would have been for Angela Merkel, George Bush, Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy to have gone immediately to Pakistan for her funeral.
We should have seen, standing behind Benazir's body, as they once did behind Anwar Al-Sadat's and Itzhak Rabin's, the largest possible number of government leaders and heads of state, to make the funeral a global demonstration on behalf of the values of democracy and peace.
We would have wanted the French president to interrupt his vacation to bid farewell to this great lady, now a martyr, on her last voyage. But no. The man who just rolled out the red carpet for Moammar Gadhafi contented himself with a short communiqué, not responding to those who had begged him to find a gesture or at least words which would honor this assassinated heroine. Beyond Mr. Sarkozy, the entire community of democratic heads of state has been astonishingly moderate, prudent, indeed pusillanimous.
posted by GayandRight @ 10:14 AM
2 Comments:
I will withhold my judgement on Bhutto until it becomes a bit clearer as to whether she was a great lady or a common thief.
I will also not judge her yet as to whether she was a democratic beacon shining in the darkness of totallitarianism or just another greedy politico looking to get back to the power and money she to which she had grown accustomed.
I've heard enough and have a long enough memory to know that her legacy is one of the reasons Pakistan is in the shape its in.
Had she been a great leader when in power I would support your call for all the world leaders to gather but at the moment it would be like all the world leaders to gather to morn the passing of Paul Martin were he once again running for office. A former Prime Minister seeking the reigns of power does not a state funeral warrant.
You're probably right - her husband was an amazing thief, no doubt.....but this funeral was an opportunity...and was missed...
fred
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home