Thoughts on several subjects out in the world

I heard discussion early this morning of the future of Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan. The Pakistanis have been central to our strategy in Afghanistan since the border areas have many people who are fundamentalist islamists or resent the control of central government or both. Mussharraf has evoked the ire of many people in Pakistan and apparently unrest is increasing. Riots have taken place and the opposition is not only from the fundamentalists but from democratic opposition as well. Musharraf, after all, is a dictator who's suspended the Pakistani constitution in order to hold power after seizing it. One imagines that our cheek by jowel relationship with him causes people in many parts of the world to be dubious about our claims to be fighting in Iraq for the principles of democracy. Nice words when they suit our needs. Musharraf's leadership has apparently involved many instances of people "disappearing", aid to institutions which are opposing democractic structures in the country, and attacks on enclaves in the tribal areas which have destroyed villages. While Pakistan has always had anti-democratic institutions such as the Intelligence Service, it has also had a fairly strong democratic traditions. This morning's commentary noted that the more we helped undermine the rule of law there with our actions, the more likely we were to end up encouraging a future where fundamentalists and jihadists engaged in a civil war with authoritarian military forces. None of this, of course, can be viewed without reference to the fact that Pakistan has nuclear weapons. The fact that we end up looking hypocritical worries me as much as the possible consequences of our actions.
On a different note, my son, Sean, sent me a connection to a series of short films on YouTube called "Hometown Baghdad". The segments follow a series of friends, students mostly, who have a camcorder and speak English. They share inside views of their homes, their families, their schools, and their neighborhoods. I found it extremely poignant because they were so ordinary, and yet their environment and prospects are unimaginable to us. It was the first time I felt I really had a good grasp of what some people's lives are now like in that place which is simply an iconic news headlines here. I looked at the video segments and felt afraid for them, these young people, because the odds are so high that some of them will not live to make the next film.