Bhutto to be detained... and you're next.

The New York Times reported today from Islamabad, Pakistan that former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto will be detained at her home if she tries to lead a planned protest march next Friday.

This is an important development, not only for the people of Pakistan, who President Bush should be rallying behind in their bid for true democracy, IF he means what he says about fighting for freedom and democracy, but also for the American people, who should keep a close watch on this situation lest it be one we have to deal with ourselves.

I don't WANT to be an alarmist, but these are in fact alarming times.

That being said, here's a scenario which I feel is plausible given the attitude of the present administration.

Come November 2008, and despite the best efforts of the Republican smear machine, John Edwards, Barack Obama or (Lord forbid) Hillary Clinton wins the presidency. A national crisis of some sort causes (they'll say "forces") the Bush administration to declare martial law. The President-in-waiting issues the expected complaint at the top of his/her lungs, calling for the American people to rally to the defense of (what else) democracy. George "the Puppet" Bush, at the backstage command of Lord Cheney, calls for the Army, or even the National Guard, which astute readers will remember is now under the direct control of the Department of Homeland Security (read: the President), to prevent the next President from leading or speaking at a demonstration.

Why do I bring up such an admittedly unlikely scenario? Because, if we've learned nothing else in the past seven years, it is that this administration has NO respect for the Constitution or the wishes of the American people. Therefore, it behooves us to be aware of ANY possibility of shenanigans from these fascists-in-masquerade.

After all,

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. -- Wendell Phillips, (1811-1884), abolitionist, orator and columnist for The Liberator, in a speech before the Massachusetts Antislavery Society in 1852.

And with that I add a new reference website to my list on the side of this blog: Freedom Keys.