Not a day goes by that I don’t stumble upon some new article that either tributes Bhutto for her heroism or articulates apprehension over her unexpected departure. The assertion is that she was going to be Pakistan’s liberator from clutches of tyranny.
I beg to differ.
We can all agree that Benazir Bhutto demonstrated extraordinary valor in the face of ubiquitous and perilous threat to her life. But courage alone is of no value without integrity.
If you have kept up with political news recently, you are well aware of Bhutto’s former corrupt political life. She named herself President of her party for life. Millions of dollars were lost (perhaps stolen) during her reign. Numerous other examples of scandals led to her disgrace, ousting from the office, and exile.
With that in mind, consider the following. Our detestation of Castro in Cuba should not favorably influence our opinion of his predecessor, Batista, who was also a violent military suppressor. Khomeini’s hatred of the US should not fallaciously lead us to believe that his predecessor, Shaw of Iran, was any lesser of a brutal dictator. Similarly, the chaotic state of Pakistan and our view of Musharraf do not make Bhutto a less corrupt and deceptive politician.
Bhutto’s presence in Pakistan had the potential of being nothing short of disastrous. Two corrupt politicians competing for power was not good for Pakistan. Do not assume, even for a moment, that Bhutto would not return to her former corrupt ways – and rather quickly. To think otherwise is to naively delude ourselves.
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