Perez Musharraf

So rather than be impeached (and prolly destroy the country in civil war right after, given what we've seen out of him) Pervez Musharraf has resigned. Much like Nixon, no?

You've probably already heard the stats. Took over in a coup in 1999. Has been head of state (and head of the army) since. You could call him a military dictator, but one who has flirted quite a bit with democracy, much in the fashion of English monarchs ("You're doing what I like, so I'll let you keep doing what I like. But the minute you change to what I don't like...").

Any guy who will simply dissolve the supreme court in order to avoid hearing, "Yep, you broke the law, Pervez" probably doesn't need to be running a democracy. That's really the only judgement I have on this situation. He's gone; and it's a good thing.

Now what to do with him?

I'm gonna be Gerald Ford crazy here, and say pardon him. It's time to move on and fry bigger fish. And you can argue the fact that without Musharraf, for better and worse things would not be what they are today in Pakistan. They're a strong nation, nuclear armed, a player in the world game, poised to launch a full blown democracy.

Would this have happened without 9 years of military rule? Probably. But now that he's paved the way for a new President (and era) in Pakistan with his resignation, I say we start with a fresh slate and leave him alone to finish off his life, reliving the glory years.

But really, what does my opinion matter? I'm an American. That's Pakistan. I rightly have no say in the process...something we should remember a little more often since some of us have pissed away the moral highground.