There are, by whatever strokes of geopolitical fortune, places where political markers place very little ink on every-day life.

And then there is Pakistan. Where one signature?inked in the obscured hours on Saturday night by a military man who?s been ?rescuing? his country for 8 years?at once dissolved the high courts, repealed Gutenberg?s contributions to Pakistani minds, and unplugged all television not controlled by the state.

No TV! We’ve gone over this before. TV’s important… you know? for the kids. Agreed: adults are being arrested without due process, this teetering balance of power has just been transformed into a catapult. But? the little ones– There?s no cartoons! And weird pages missing from my school books. And teachers with muzzles and dogs wearing berets and guns marching around our playgrounds.

Can mommy and daddy really explain?and boy are they ever going to need Inspector Gadget on this one?that their leader just crumbled up the country?s Constitution, and tossed it in the dumpster, just like one of Gadget?s self-destructing messages? And that it?s going to blow… soon… even into their tiny little faces?

Or maybe Mommy and Daddy won’t have to do any explaining. Maybe, just maybe, the kids won’t hear anything over the spell of white noise?

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