Forgive the pessimism, but the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar appears to be achieving its objective.

The AP reports: "the streets [are] cleared of protesters, the Internet [is] down and many residents [are] too fearful to go out."

Despite the supportive rhetoric, no world leader is doing much to support freedom.

Bush has made some moves to pressure the military leadership. Not for the sake of democracy, but because Burma supplies energy to China -- with which the Bushies have long engaged in a cold resource war.

Further, Bush is doing little to get other Myanmar customers like India , Thailand and France to squeeze the junta.

Bush has little economic leverage with Myanmar, and forget about moral authority. There's little expectation Bush can do very much, or will try all that hard.

Meanwhile, there's a pro-democracy movement rising in Pakistan that Bush really doesn't care about (and is attracting less media attention).

Lawyers were beaten by police after protesting a Supreme Court ruling letting the dictatorial Musharraf "run" for re-election, despite what it says in Pakistan's Constitution.

The weakened Musharraf looks like he will enter into some agreement with his exiled political rival Benazir Bhutto, but this is a defensive move to stay in charge, not one allowing for real democracy.

This looks to undermine Bhutto's democratic cred, not strengthen Musharraf's.

This was the deal the Bushies wanted, short-circuiting the Pakistani grassroots push for democracy, in favor of propping up leaders they like.

(UPDATE: According to Bloomberg, Bhutto says talks have stalled.)

As we see in Myanmar, the triumph of fossil fuel over freedom is not monopolized by Bush.

But this will be Bush's legacy.

The so-called leader of the free world, squandering his nation's moral authority by practicing democracy hypocrisy, and presiding over a backslide in the quest for freedom.