This whole view of what the US's policy should be in regards to the Middle East and the rest of the world is so backwards that none of it makes sense. They want Bush to fight al-Qaeda, but be more diplomatic in the world and stop meddling in the affairs of others. But it's ironic when Bush takes a diplomatic approach he gets bashed when it doesn't work which is double ironic because he gets bashed for not using diplomacy when he predicts diplomacy would've failed anyway. He can't do anything right in the eyes of the left. He could take their advice and apply it but still get bashed as we saw with the 9/11 recommendations.

Pick something - starting with which battles to fight. Al-Qaeda attacked us, and Bush gave Pakistan an option: help us against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan or we'll forcefully come in your country and do it for you. Diplomacy sometimes has to take the form of ultimatums.

What were the alternatives? Kaplan wanted us to fund democratic movements in Pakistan which while sounds great but that's assuming it would've worked and Musharaf wouldn't have then chose to stop pursuing al-Qaeda when that's our stated goal there. So then we'd be left in the exact situation we're in now no matter what only this way Musharaff at least sort of still pursues al-Qaeda because either way he would've imposed martial law. And then comes the only other option, MILITARILY FORCE HIM to me democratic. I'm sure Fred would've loved that considering how well that's going in Iraq right now.

The middle east is a fucked up place. It isn't the reality of America. And Fred Kaplan declaring what's going on in Pakistan right now as Bush's fault is absolutely absurd. It's a catch 22 over there - whether Musharaf helps Bush pursue al-Qaeda or we go in their and do it ourselves, no matter what there will be chaos in Pakistan cause that's the reality on the ground their.

The hardest thing to change in the world is the mindset of societies and when those societies are the problem it's complexities are almost unfixable - certainly in the sense that it's not an overnight fix.

I hope Pakistan goes democratic (as Bush has told Musharaf to do), but the goal is to find Bin Laden, not lose whatever edge we have pursuing that goal.