Birds of a feather
The arrests of lawyers and other moderates in Pakistan (“Sharif gets a hero’s welcome in Pakistan,” Nov. 26) and the police repression of dissidents in Russia (“Kasparov is jailed after Moscow rally,” Nov. 25) provide an opportunity to see whether President Bush really means what he says about promoting democracy throughout the world. Unfortunately, because Bush -- like Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin -- is subverting the constitution that he is supposed to uphold, the chances that he will take effective action against other leaders who share his contempt for the rule of law are slim.
Roger Algase
New York
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