How we can keep terrorism alive

Terrorism has now become a tool in the hands of political strategists for both political parties in the US. The public has been driven into a funk about "attacks on the homeland" and how the only way to avoid them is to stop the "friends" of the would be attacker, ten thousand miles away. Both parties claim that the evidence of a lack of attack in the US is the main evidence of how effectively the administration is dealing with the Security of Americans.

Decisions about Pakistan and Afghanistan are being made in Washington with one eye on how it would help the chances of the party in power to stay in power. If these decisions don't make sense to people in Pakistan or Afghanistan it is because they think that America truly sees the Taliban or Al Qaida as a threat to their interests. If these decisions are eventually going to back fire then the people in power do not care because they will not be around to take the heat. Bush is sitting happily in Texas after wreaking a heavy toll on Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan but he got to strut around on the world scene for 8 years.

What if it cost the US trillions of dollars with nothing to show for it, that is Obama's problem.

The Europeans on the other hand are besides themselves with consternation and would have pulled out many many years ago but for American arm twisting. NATO wants no part of this neither are they needed but for the American desire to depict this as global rather than an American problem.

Obama could have and should have blamed Bush for destroying America's credibility and prestige and bringing about the collapse of the Economy partly through waging unwindable wars with bottom less appetites for troops and money. Why has he not done this and instead continued with Bush's disastrous Foreign policies? Simply because his political advisers are telling him that the American public has been frightened gutless into believing that they are not secure and want only those people to be leading them who make them feel secure. Traditionally this has been the Republican party despite Truman, Roosevelt and Kennedy. In this era the Democrats wrongly believe that as the Party of peace they need to appear war like to the public. Hence Obama's senseless decision to pour more troops into Afghanistan.

The more Obama's popularity plummets by the day the more hawkish he will become and we can expect drone attacks to escalate and perhaps Yemen added to the list of casualties. Fortunately the US has run out of money and cannot afford to attack Yemen leave alone Iran. This limits them to staging fake attempts to blow up airlines in the US. I am not saying the current administration is up to it but what about the opposition? I can be wrong but nothing makes sense when major decisions are being taken affecting the lives of millions of poor and innocent people around the world on the basis of how these decisions will play out on CNN and NBC.

Khusro

Why are Isarel's bombs more justified than those of others?

Israel is just as capable of unleashing it's nuclear might as the US was in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The idea that we have more to fear from Iran than from Israel is a product of the Western mindset that we are the good guys and the good guys are justified in eliminating the bad guys. This black and white world view which was the trade mark of Bush and earlier US Presidents is being continued by Obama.
The US did not bomb Hiroshima to stop the war as the propaganda goes but to say to the world, I am now the strongest, do as I say or else, see what I did to the innocent Japanese.The relentless propaganda to paint the Iranians as the bad guys
is a repeat of the past. Although Iran denies it, but if it were building a nuclear war capability, it would be fully understandable. Every one understands why Pakistan had to do it, to defend itself against a much stronger and avowed enemy. (India).
Even Yasmin Alibhai a pro west British subject is aghast at the double standard, yet talk to any American on the street and they will not be able to see the contradiction. Israel represents the single biggest reason for the US having very little credibility in the world as a leader with any standards.

Does Israel control the US or is just an agent of the US

I believe that Israel through AIPAC controls our political machinery. There is no other explanation for Obama not being able to do what he believes in. No politician can hope to get elected if he so much as believes in having an even handed policy towards the Israeli/Palestinian dispute. From time to time you will hear me say that our political system is broken and that is what I mean. It is too beholden to the various lobbies.

It is true that the Israelis have been smart enough in becoming the tools for our imperialist agenda but the policies towards Iran in particular and Islam in general are Israel originated and are harmful to the US. Israel's survival on the other hand depends on such policies.

This is a good subject for debate and discussion, but I believe that our destiny is no longer in our hands and has not been for some time. Whether you and I can do anything about it remains to be seen.

Khusro

The reason for the failure of Copenhagen

Stilwell says that rich countries are trying to exchange "beads and blankets for Manhattan." He adds: "This is a colonial moment. That's why no stone has been left unturned in getting heads of state here to sign off on this kind of deal.... Then there's no going back. You've carved up the last remaining unowned resource and allocated it to the wealthy."


Under the leadership of America, nothing can be expected except an un equal distribution of everything. America has come to stand for inequality and the virtues of self interest only even if it comes at the cost of depriving millions of minimal existence.
In many ways the negotiations on the environment represents the pits in offering leadership to a problem that affects the preservation of our planet. The Chinese appear to understand the magnitude of the problem more than America and yet an American, Al Gore, was given a prize, for talking glibly about global warming.
The tragedy is that a large part of America would want to do the right thing and yet our political system does not give them a voice. The eight years of Bush were spent in denial for dealing with the most serious problem faced by our planet and now that Obama is willing to at least accept that this is a problem, we have a weak President unable to break free of interests of the Corporations.

Khusro

The role of Kashmir and the Army in Pakistan

Pakistan has built up the 5th largest army in the world and has erroneously fallen upon the rent an army concept. America has been instrumental in feeding upon the ambitions of the various army generals to keep Pakistan under their influence.

The army has now become an integral part of the political structure. Pakistan's generals are no better or worse than it's political leaders, although they ( the generals) have been less covetous of personal fortunes than the civilians.
I believe in any future political set up the army must agree to keep out of politics in return for some form of consultative role. The Turkish example might be worth studying.

Kashmir is a lost cause for all but the Kashmiris but it has spawned the huge defense spending on both sides and has resulted in Pakistan today becoming a Nuclear power. In many ways Pakistan's nuclear capability has come at the expense of the literacy of it's citizen, but without it's nuclear muscle Pakistan would be a pariah nation shunned by all including the US.

For better or worse Pakistan has the misfortune of sharing a border with Afghanistan, which is today the wild west of Muslim fundamentalists and this will no doubt shape the future of what Pakistan will become. If India has shaped Pakistan's past, Afghanistan will likely shape it's future. This is what happens to a people who have no legitimate vision of their own. They are buffeted by fate and others.
Khusro

A new world order?

http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_asia_s_rise_how_and_when.html




Several interesting points from viewing the video. Please see the video first.

1. The world as a whole is a better place today in terms of wealth and health than it was in 1858.
2. Imperialism helped the West and hurt Asia ( except Japan). Victory in two world wars put the West in control of making rules on how the game is to be played. The rules were slanted giving the West a huge edge.
3. Sovereignty is critical for the growth of a nation. A freer world ( free of Imperial domination, whether military or Economic) will lead to greater prosperity for every one as the rules will be more even.
4. The possibility of war to maintain the status quo of the West has already been tried. Fear of the emergence of China partly influenced the attack on Iraq. The idea was to occupy the Middle East ( including Iran) so that Energy supplies could be controlled to the disadvantage of China and India. This attempt has failed bar the shouting.

A new world order is emerging not just because nations like China and India are gaining a bigger say in making the rules but also because the West in their panic are making colossal mistakes hurting their credibility and calling into question the robustness of their institutions.

Khusro














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Are The Muslims up to it?

There is a message in this for all Muslims of the world. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire a decision seems to have been taken by the victors to enslave the Muslims and never allow them to even think of being free again. The Muslim territories contained oil and were rich in other natural resources which could fuel the economies of the victors.

Muslims nations world wide are now weak, Impotent and servile to the US and Isreal. No one is to blame for this more than the Muslims. The refusal to join the Industrial revolution, shows up in the weakness of the way Islam is interpreted. A 100 % focus on rituals has left Islam as nothing but a way of observing these rituals for the sake of observing them, in a mistaken belief that this all that God wants of us.

Forgotten are the lessons of Badr and Uhud. The fight has gone out of Muslims except a few. The few that are willing to fight are the ones who are the most ritualistic. On the other hand rituals are the main thing that has kept Islam alive. The faith of the many has sustained what the reasoning of the few would have fritterred away. I hope that this lesson is never forgotten. The fact that Islam has so much to offer to the world is lost both on Muslims and non Muslims alike.

There are those Muslims who would like to characterize Islam as a religion of peace. Whether they do it to appease those who accuse it of terrorism or they genuinely believe it, I do not know but I do know that that statement is incorrect and does an injustice to Islam. Islam is a Religion that seeks Jusice more than Peace. It advocates fighting against Injsutice. It advocates fighting to protect your religion and beliefs where they are threatened.
No Muslim should feel embarrased or apologetic in wanting to fight for their freedoms. Otherwise they deserve the humiliation and Injustice that is being waged on the Palestinians. ( a people composed not just of Muslims but also Jews and Christians).

In a world increasingly dominated by a powerful minority who are lording it over a powerless majority, the dirtiest word is now Democracy. The looming limitations of Capitalism, Secularism, Democracy are creating a vacum not fully visble to all but this vacum creates an opportunity for those who believe in Justice, whether they call themselves Muslim or not.
Let us be clear that Injustice cannot be overcome without a fight. Those who do not have a stomach for it should get out of the kitchen ( in fact they already have) including those who would like to call themselves Muslims but want to look the other way.

Those Muslims nations who take as their protectors the very nations who are responsible for most of the Injustices are a blot on the name of Islam. The powerful will never be the protectors of the powerless. It is only Islam that advocates that those that have a lot should and must share with those who have little. The powerless are the orphans of the world and one of Islams greatest message is to care for the orphans.

Are Muslims ready to fill this vacum ? Unfortunately I see no signs of it. Will Muslims be ready for the fight in a 100 years? If not, then they may never. Then they can keep their rituals and I hope that they will be very happy with them.

Khusro