"The Coup at Home"

Frank Rich NYT
" We are a people in clinical depression. Americans know that the ideals that once set our nation apart from the world have been vandalized, and no matter which party they belong to, they do not see a restoration anytime soon. "

Re Pakistan: I was feeling exactly this last week. Depression. I decided to join Amnesty International's letter writing campaign (Urgent Action network). This was on their list for last week. I went to the post office on 11/6 and bought $48 worth of 90 cent international stamps so I will have all the supplies to send letters to dictators to voice my displeasure at their actions whenever the mood strikes me. (So there!!) So I copied their suggestions for letters, made a template and sent them to President Pervez Musharraf, the Minister for the Interior, the Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights, and copies of these 3 to the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC. I don't really have any dillusion of grandeur about the effectiveness of ONE letter from me asking them to not harm the HR actvisits they have put under house arrest, but I do believe that there is a really small chance thousands of letters from across the world may make a difference. I hope so... anyway it makes me feel better.