The New Consipracy Theory

I might as well confess that this one is something that I have dreamt up all on my own. The way it started was that I was trying to understand whats happening in Afghanistan and our wild west, with the militants and talibans and whatnot. The following is what makes sense to me.

I am assuming that there is a group of people out there who think that the failure of the Soviet Afghan adventure and their subsequent collapse as a super power is a model that may be followed as true. The US is entrenched in both Afghanistan and Iraq for many reasons but the main one would be to control areas that have oil or may be required to get access to oil. So these people think that by getting America and her allies embroiled in this type of guerrilla war, sooner or later, US will be defeated and this will lead to their eventual collapse. This group then becomes responsible for aiding the militants/talibans/terrorists by giving them cash and or arms ammunitions, and using our wild west as the launching grounds for these offensives. The only difference is that this time around, the government of Pakistan is not endorsing these activities for obvious reasons. That is not to say that the government is involved, just that even if they were involved, they couldn't admit it.

The next question is, who are these people? The usual suspects would be the Saudis, Iranians (mutually exclusive, or so I think) or dare I say it, could it be the Russians?

FDR met with the Saudi King in 1945 aboard a US naval ship. Since then the royal family of KSA has waltzed with the yankees doing everything the holy father in Washington has asked for. But there has been an underlying dissent by people like our friend Ossama. So this group could be made up of people like that, with the money and the motive.

Based on the oldest rivalry in the region between the Arabs and the Persian Empire, the Iranians are next. And they have been against the yanks since forever. I feel it also has to do with the fact that the Saudis decided to side with the US. The US has tried everything, first putting the Shah on the throne, something that didn't last very long. The war with Iraq, with the US on Saddam's side. They have the oil (thus the money) and the motive.

My money would be on the Soviets. I wouldn't put it past my friend Putin to dream up a diabolical plot to bring down the US hegemony. In this fast changing world, where yesterday's friends are today's enemies, a Russian-Taliban alliance would not surprise me at all. Probably fronted by someone else, that would be my guess.

So there you have it, one or more of these groups working together for the state of unrest in the region, whether they will be successful or not, only time will tell!

Hail to the new chief

The coronation has taken place and we have a new king. For someone who was conspicuous by absence as late as December of last year, to come this far is incredible. All the more power to him!

His brilliant wheeling dealing have left no doubts that this is a man of no scruples when it comes to getting his way. Him claiming that whatever he says is not holy writ should make sure everyone knows that he is not a man of his word, and that every thing that he says, is said for expediency's sake and cannot be taken seriously at all. So when he says that parliament is supreme, is that holy writ? I hope the idiots at the receiving end have learnt their lesson, but I have serious misgivings about that.

Let's see what havoc he creates this time around.

In the meanwhile, in a parallel universe but far away from the la la land that we seem to be living in our minds, the realities are still being met with denial. The economy is screwed, all the foreign investments have been pulled out from the stock markets and real estate. As the dollar weakens against all major currencies, the ruppee keeps falling because there is great demand. Inflation has seen new highs in the last few months.

The power distribution companies have minimized their electricity generation and are not paying the companies who are producing it, because the biggest customers, who are the federal and provincial governments have not paid. So the manufacturing and textile industries who are already suffering, don't get enough power to run their units. Our solution, instead of investing in making uninterrupted power available to all, and getting money from their customers (who will be able to run their businesses and pay their bills), the government wants to cut down the working week, so with five days of work with the same available power, they expect that more will be done. It doesn't add up. But who is to argue with stupidity. I just read that they have also increased tariff by 40%.

I am all for a five day week, but this does not make any sense.

The media hype was that we are taking the militants more seriously in terms of dealing with them. I don't know what the truth is or whether anything has changed. There are conspiracy theories galore, my only question would be about who is supporting them with the cash and arms and ammunition? That answer alone would clear up a lot of things. But I don't know the answer and maybe never will. So I sit and wait to see what happens next. If I had the option, I would bail out and go and live in luxury in the south of France. But my meager savings are getting smaller day by day and I am not sure whether they will last me beyond a day or two in Nice. So I sit here, with my head in the sand, hoping for a miracle. I delude myself, as usual.

Here we go again

When will this end? Five women are reportedly buried alive in Balochistan. For allegedly wanting to marry out of their own choice and supporting the idea. And how does the upper house of representatives react? The senator from the area says that its part of the Baloch tradition and therefore it must be accepted. The usual suspects condemn the act and the senator and that is about it.

Suddenly after all the hue and cry, and the autopsy, it is discovered that the women were not buried alive, they were killed before they were buried. Everyone breathes a sigh a relief. Excuse me? So because they were not disposed off in the honourable Baloch fashion, it suddenly becomes okay?

In another news, a seventeen year girl who goes to court to get her marriage annulled, is shot dead by her brothers and father or both. This marriage took place when the girl was 9 years old.

I refuse to use the term that is used for these murders, because murder is what this is and nothing else.

What will happen next? Will the courts and the law do something about it? Oh I forget, according to the Islamic law (Qisaas and Diyat), the brothers will be excused by the father and everyone will go home. Does it make sense? No. Does someone stand up and say this is wrong? Yes, but not one of the Islamic scholars have ever come forward to say it. Makes me think that it is okay according to Islamic law. And if it is, time to change that law. But its a losing battle. Fighting or arguing against absolute truths is generally futile.

I have always maintained that the erstwhile CJ was someone who would at least get the courts moving by his infamous suo motto moves. But alas, he is no more. Our future president, who has been freshly baptized and cleansed of all alleged wrong doings in the past, just cannot afford to have him around, just like our ex-President, both of whom would have been told that they have broken the law and are accountable. And then again FL has been given a get out of jail card, so everything is cool again.

Where does it end?

According to the apologists, this is what justifies the Talibans. I wouldn't mind, if they were even a shade better. But unfortunately they are as bad, if not worse. I say the pox on them both. I am not going to choose the lesser evil. I will hold out till I find a movement that is worthy.