Video: Fareed Zakaria goes from Pakistan to the Daily Show

posted at 9:03 am on January 15, 2008 by Bryan

Some funny stuff here and there, but Zakaria’s line about the US promoting democracy only in strategically irrelevant countries would hold more water if we weren’t fighting for democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq right now. Neither is strategically irrelevant by any stretch of the imagination: Afghanistan was al Qaeda’s home base and Iraq is one of the world’s most oil-rich countries and it’s smack dab in the middle of the Middle East. Both have held elections and are on the route to democracy. When it comes to efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and Iraq, the US isn’t the problem. Zakaria’s theory would also hold more water if we hadn’t persuaded the Saudis to hold local elections for the first time in its history a couple of years back. It would hold even more water if Benazir Bhutto’s assassination hadn’t been preceded by a US attempt to jump start Pakistan’s democracy. That effort was what lured her back to Pakistan in the first place.

As a wise blogger is fond of saying, democracy is a process, not an event. Zakaria would do well to remember that when he’s tossing out witty lines for cheap laughs on Jon Stewart’s stage.

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Ironically, it was when Musharraf showed up on the Daily Show that I saw the “softer”, more “regular-guy” humanity from this important world leader, of a most important place in that part of the world.

JetBoy on January 15, 2008 at 9:13 AM

OT: The New Republic just released more Paul newsletters, this time with some direct links to paul.

jp on January 15, 2008 at 9:16 AM

Note the parallels he strikes about being an 8 year dictator… nuance.

Vizzini on January 15, 2008 at 9:36 AM

OT: Muslim M&S worker refuses to sell ‘unclean’ Bible book

No points for guessing which country this happened in.

aengus on January 15, 2008 at 9:36 AM

As a culturist, I think culture matters. Worse than not having the media savvy to keep theories about Bhutto dying from bumping her head, many Muslims are hostile to democracy, free speech and the separation of church and state. I hope Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan become stable democracies, but worry that will require our enforcing it forever. The best way to make sure rights, democracy, the separation of church and state, women’s freedom, and anti-racism continue is to put America first.

http://www.culturism.us

culturism on January 15, 2008 at 9:45 AM

when people stop caring what Jon Stewert thinks? oh, wait, nobody cares what he thinks now.

RMC1618 on January 15, 2008 at 9:47 AM

So this is what two liberals having a conversation sounds like. Completely insubstantial, ignorance of the facts if it allows them a zinger (and so the other guy can go, “I know, right??”). Reality-based indeed, ugh.

And, dude, does John say Benazir-boo at 2:25?

amkun on January 15, 2008 at 9:58 AM

Poor Jon. He’s not holding up well with his 20+ writers on strike. Does the guy still even know how to be funny?

Sugar Land on January 15, 2008 at 10:01 AM

Zakaria works at Newsweek and is a favorite guest of Stephanopoulus on his Sunday morning show.

I don’t like him. Why?

I’ve seen his act.

fogw on January 15, 2008 at 10:23 AM

“Does [Jon Stewart] still even know how to be funny?”

Wait…you’re saying he was funny before the writer’s strike? When did this occur??

CatsGodot on January 15, 2008 at 10:39 AM

I agree with you on all you said in your prologue Bryan except I kind of take a different view of the circumstances that brought Bhutto back to Pakistan. I think when all is known it will be that we didn’t “lure” her back, rather she pursued a deal that we brokered with Musharraf. She wanted to go back but couldn’t while the corruption charges were still in force against her and her husband. He was supposed to relinquish his military role before he was designated as President and he failed to do that. That was a big screw up on his part so he removed the SC judges because he knew they would rule that his appointment was illegal since he failed to give up his military role.

Then Bhutto pulled a “chalabi” on us and used that to call the deal off. That led Musharraf to declare marshal law and then Bhutto really stirred it up and called for Musharraf to resign stating publicly that she would not cooperate in a shared government which she had agreed to do if we brokered her return.

So, respectfully, I take exception to the idea that we lured her back, rather she played us and Musharraf like a fiddle.

;)

Texas Gal on January 15, 2008 at 12:48 PM