Venezuela vs Pakistan: The Definition of Hypocrisy

Today our "good friend" Pakistani dictator Gen. Musharraf arrested 1200 opposition party members. On Monday he issued a decree giving himself blanket power to shut down any independent television network he wanted. The problem are those pesky protests calling for a return to democracy. Musharraf had already stopped transmissions of TV stations that reported on the growing constitutional crisis over Musharraf’s sacking of Pakistan’s chief justice. 50 have been killed in protests by Masharraf militias, etc. etc...

Neither george Bush nor Condoleeza Rice have said one word about the curtailment freedom or democracy in Pakistan. But each of them found time to vehemently attack Venezuela each of the last few days, for the "shuttering" of a shlock soap opera, game show channel RCTV (nevermind that RCTV is still running at full steam, broadcasting its news programs across the country on radio and is showing its programming on a big screen in a plaza in Caracas tonight.)

Oh wait, Bush did mention Pakistan on Tuesday. He coupled his statements in Prague on freedom and democracy to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan: “These nations have taken brave stands and strong action to confront extremists, along with some steps to expand liberty and transparency. Yet they have a great distance still to travel.” Isn't that nice.