From a conversation I had earlier today on IM with Scott Ott from Scrappleface. He gave me permission to post a snippet of it on RWN.

Scott Ott: For those who are hoping for the successful return to Pakistan of Benazir Bhutto, I offer this quote: "Extremism can flourish only in an environment where basic governmental social responsibility for the welfare of the people is neglected. Political dictatorship and social hopelessness create the desperation that fuels religious extremism."

Scott Ott: Why is it that we only get the choice between dictatorship and socialism?

John Hawkins: Uh..it's pakistan? What did you expect? A defense of Jeffersonian democracy =D

Scott Ott: It's not just Pakistan...it's everywhere...the US has the choice of supporting a tyrant or a Marxist or Muslim fascists.

John Hawkins: America is the aberration. Places like Sudan or Pakistan are more the natural state of humanity.

Scott Ott: Do you want the Shah or Khomeini...Saddam or the Shia...the the Soviets or the Taliban.

John Hawkins: If they were well put together, decent places to live, we wouldn't need to make a choice =D

Scott Ott: true