Africa has long been the lost continent. But the events of the past week, and the generic apathy demonstrates that Pakistan is soon becoming the next lost nation. Almost a fifth of the country is underwater, displaced and in risk of disease, amongst sweltering heat and humidity. Nearly a $1 Billion of aid is needed, but not much has trickled in. In the end, not much will trickle in.
Why is this apathy? Well, the rich particularly in US who are most generous in the world, think Pakistan is a terrorist state, and in general, they are right. It may not be state sponsored, but the mismanagement in general, means anarchy prevails. So the ones who will loosen their purse strings, the ones who will have benefits, the ones who will go door to door to get the aid - pretty much don't care when it comes to Pakistan.
Pakistan - the land of the pure, is filthy, unruly, waterlogged, hungry and disease prone right this second. Not much of the richer Muslim brothers are doing anything much either. What can do against the wishes of Allah? Why help if that is what God wanted?
Mismanagement here will single handedly change the course of history. Extremist elements are pitching this calamity as a signal from Allah, that he despises people who help the infidels (read: Americans) and more of the ruin is to follow. So their recruiting tool: join us, we pay, we provide a brotherhood, we provide a focus, and we on the side of Allah. Pretty compelling right? Well, from an unemployed youth's viewpoint, whose home got uprooted, whose family is in tatters, and there is no sustenance - this is the perfect storm. Many a future extremist will be born in the next few weeks and months, thanks to this crisis in Pakistan.
Even if the liberal rich did show any apathy, it will not be received well or reciprocated, the die has been cast one way or the other. There in lies the conundrum.
Meanwhile, welcome to the next forgotten nation. "Paak" (pure) is soon under the threat and the risk to become "naa-Paak" (impure).
Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The War Logs
So WikiLeaks along with New York Times release a bunch of military documents, suggesting something the whole world has known for a long time - that the war in Afghanistan is not going well. Well, history is a great leveler. Russians learned it the hard way two decades ago, but Americans thought they had it all figured out. They did not.
Documents suggest that ISI, Pakistan's agency has been helping the Taliban all along. What a surprise? Ask any Indian intelligence officer, and they would list a litany of things ISI has done in the past three decades, the latest being the Mumbai bombings and killings from a year or so ago. It is well known that ISI coordinates the Suicide Bomber network. Many recruits are prepared to die not really for the cause, but because their families get the $500 - $1000 equivalent, for their son's "sacrifice". So the question is this: Should we care about this? Actually, at least the families of the military should most certainly, and anyone who has any shred of patriotism should too. Billions have been spent on this God foresaken war, which no one can win. Blame the terrain, blame the tactics, blame the tenacity, or blame the fact that no one wants you there. This country has no future, no oil, no natural resources, just opium - that can only get you high, not get you fed or get you a job.
The real question is: why was this leaked? Because they wanted to send a message. Military was not focusing on Afghanistan under Bush, because they knew better - but also the whistle blowers thought that the neocons will never shut down the war. Somehow they think that BHO will - I think they are mistaken. These wars will single handedly ruin a great nation and its prosperity, this is what Napoeleon and Hitler both discovered - when the enemy has nothing to lose, and doesn't care about life or liberty - you cannot defeat them, and in the end it will defeat you.
This information will be dissected a million different ways, and they will find the leakers and court martial them, but the war will go on. And we all know, we are not winning it, and never will. But we will not stand up and demand that lets just close shop and come home. Why? First, we just care about us, and our family is not sending a son or daughter to war, only those who do care. Second, it is a misplaced sense of pride that we cannot be defeated. One word: Vietnam. So that how it goes.
Documents suggest that ISI, Pakistan's agency has been helping the Taliban all along. What a surprise? Ask any Indian intelligence officer, and they would list a litany of things ISI has done in the past three decades, the latest being the Mumbai bombings and killings from a year or so ago. It is well known that ISI coordinates the Suicide Bomber network. Many recruits are prepared to die not really for the cause, but because their families get the $500 - $1000 equivalent, for their son's "sacrifice". So the question is this: Should we care about this? Actually, at least the families of the military should most certainly, and anyone who has any shred of patriotism should too. Billions have been spent on this God foresaken war, which no one can win. Blame the terrain, blame the tactics, blame the tenacity, or blame the fact that no one wants you there. This country has no future, no oil, no natural resources, just opium - that can only get you high, not get you fed or get you a job.
The real question is: why was this leaked? Because they wanted to send a message. Military was not focusing on Afghanistan under Bush, because they knew better - but also the whistle blowers thought that the neocons will never shut down the war. Somehow they think that BHO will - I think they are mistaken. These wars will single handedly ruin a great nation and its prosperity, this is what Napoeleon and Hitler both discovered - when the enemy has nothing to lose, and doesn't care about life or liberty - you cannot defeat them, and in the end it will defeat you.
This information will be dissected a million different ways, and they will find the leakers and court martial them, but the war will go on. And we all know, we are not winning it, and never will. But we will not stand up and demand that lets just close shop and come home. Why? First, we just care about us, and our family is not sending a son or daughter to war, only those who do care. Second, it is a misplaced sense of pride that we cannot be defeated. One word: Vietnam. So that how it goes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)