Friday, November 04, 2011

Pakistan: The Technical Term For Such A Country Is 'Shithole."


In the years to come, the history of the so-called "war in Afghanistan" will be little more than a footnote in a chapter about the lies successive American governments told themselves and the world about Pakistan - that American-subsidized, nuclear-armed, military-industrial crime syndicate with a bribe market for a parliament that masquerades as a UN member state. All we can hope is that chapter won't be in a book about a nuclear holocaust that ended a sickening, paranoid hoax of a country that had held most of its 170 million "citizens" hostage and barely alive on less than $2 a day in the final years before it all went up in flames.

Here's a rare and horrifying glimpse of the reality behind the lies: The Ally From Hell. Excellent journalism from Jeffrey Goldberg and Marc Ambinder.

And here's a typically revolting recrudescence of Yank excuse-making from Thomas Friedman, under the headline A Long List Of Suckers, who provides Answer # 1953 to the mewling "Why do they hate us?" question: "America today needs much more cost-efficient ways to influence geopolitics in Asia than keeping troops there indefinitely. We need to better leverage the natural competitions in this region to our ends."

Thanks for that, Amreeka.

1 Comments:

Blogger James O'Hearn said...

You're right, but the choice of Pakistan as an ally was seen as a necessary evil. India's flirtation with the Soviets during the cold war was a strong impetus for the alliance, and the porous border was the United States best asset when they used the Afghani Mujahideen as a proxy army during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. This same utility came into play in 2001.

Fast forward to today, when India has smartened up a bit and joined the modern world, and stands as a far more preferable ally of the US, Pakistan is no longer needed, but those past associations, and connections all exert an influence on current policy. You have to wonder how many current and former US officials compromised themselves in some way, and find themselves at the mercy of the tug on an invisible leash.

Further complicating matters is the gift of AQ Khan. Pakistan is a country that is larger than Canada, in population, by a factor of 6 to 1, with barely 1/6th the number of people educated and living up to Canadian standards. I think the fear for some policy analysts is that if that tiny, elite fraction of the Populace populace finds its financial position compromised by a withdrawal of US support, they won't hesitate to use the crown jewels to keep the good times rolling.

When I look at the issue of Pakistan, it really is the most fitting example of the adage - sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof (and why that bit o' wisdom is really isn't all that wise).

11:38 PM  

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