Benazir as Princess Di: Death Becomes Her

It looks like the American backed Plan B for Pakistan is to re-establish the dynasty.

The US government should have long ago gotten over its puerile crush on Benazir Bhutto. She was a "democrat" the way Boris Yeltsin was a democrat: steal while you are in power, blame evil forces when you get caught. She was twice removed from office on reliable corruption charges and went into self imposed exile in 1998.

But she charmed the west with luminous dark eyes and a winning smile. Even though she wore glasses she was smart in a sexy, exotic way that makes Christiane Amanpour a network hottie.

And Benazir worked the corridors of power in Washington and Whitehall; a western seductress wrapped in eastern robes.

The political alternatives in Pakistan were never very attractive. The realities on the ground made it clear that the combination of competing tribes and cultural clashes precluded benign democracy. The military has to have more power than in the Jeffersonian model; nuclear war with India is always a possibility; Afghan warlords treat the border like a hop scotch pitch. And, in recent years, the domestic forces that seem intent on some kind of Islamic nihilism are growing stronger and stronger.

The generals who became the public face of Pakistan were a generally smarmy looking lot, dark faced with severe mustaches, beribboned uniforms and gold military glasses. Their command of English was never quite strong enough to satisfy western television watchers. Plus, they were shorter than our generals. To the western eye they looked crooked, therefore Benazir must be right.

Even during her exile Benazir blamed political opponents, saying that the corruption charges, including the ones that sent her cabinet minister husband to prison for eight years were slander (never mind that his political nickname was "Mr. 10 percent).

Now in death she becomes Princess Di, the saintly beauty whose perfection caused her demise. And who are we in London and Washington to deny this lady her one last wish?

We would be smart guys if we did.

Her will nominates her 19 year old son as heir to the political throne. Bilawal Zardari is a good looking kid, speaks good English. He could be, it is suggested the subcontinent's latest Rajiv Ghandi who took over his family's political machine and become a third generation prime minister.

Before going teary, let's look at a couple of obvious differences:

1. Rajiv Gandhi was a grown up, a 40 year old airline pilot when he took up the political mantel. Bilawal is still in school and plans on running the nation from his dorm in Oxford, England, kind of like a bi-continental round of Dungeons and Dragons computer games.
2. Indira Gandhi had her ups and downs but was a tough politician. Benazir never had the breadth of support that Gandhi had.
3. The utter gall of naming the kid the successor but nominating his ex-con dad as his temporary stand-in is mind boggling.

The political kettle is aboil in Pakistan, just as it has been for most of the country's history. Whether the elections go on, are postponed or canceled, the military will remain in power until well after our next elections.

The important goal for the west is to keep the fundamentalists away from the nuclear stockpile and start fertilizing the fields for the next new leader one who doesn't have the baggage of the son and grandson of martyrs.