Just because a country or region of the world receives no attention from 99 percent of Americans doesn’t mean that it’s not important, or that the U.S. government hasn’t stuck their nose in the country or region. Pakistan is a good example. From Eric Margolis at ericmargolis.com:
Pakistan is the world’s most important Muslim nation. It has 251 million people, nuclear weapons, the world’s sixth largest armed forces, intelligent, capable people, vast lands and major sources of water.
Yet Pakistan is a giant mess. Its current politics are a form of tribal warfare. Corruption engulfs almost everything. Disease, particularly diabetes, afflicts its long-suffering people. Polio is making return.
In recent years, Pakistan has suffered vast floods that have ravaged this nation. Equally menacing, next-door India remains an ever-present danger. Far-right Hindu extremists who are heavily represented in the current Modi government, keep talking about ‘reabsorbing’ Pakistan into ‘Mother India.’ This would have happened long ago except for Pakistan’s important nuclear arsenal and delivery systems.
India has also built an extensive nuclear arsenal, including three new submarines armed with intermediate-ranged nuclear missiles. This while people in India and Pakistan starve in the streets. And 60% of homes in India lack indoor plumbing.
The only institution in Pakistan that really works well is the armed forces. I have met many of its generals: most of them are intelligent, combat-ready officers. I knew Gen. Akhtar Abdur Rahman Khan, the ferocious chief of ISI intelligence service who led the anti-Soviet war in Afghanistan. He was murdered with the tough tank general Zia ul Haq who ruled Pakistan until his aircraft was sabotaged in 1988. Zia was a great Islamic warrior and man of steel. Many Pakistanis still believe he was assassinated by the US though there is no direct evidence.
I was friends with the late Benazir Bhutto, a fascinating and alluring woman who was murdered in 2007. I interviewed Gen. Pervez Musharraf in 1999, a man who seemed insignificant compared to Gen. Zia.
Benazir Bhutto, whose father Zulfikar was ordered hanged by Zia, used to tease me, ‘oh Eric, you love your Pakistani generals.’ I did. Most were fierce Pashtuns from the NW Frontier, born warriors. They first defeated the Soviet Union, then the mighty USA.
There’s those oligarchs again, always hiding behind muh democracy.
Just read one about Europe is the same enemy it was in 1775 and if we get caught in WWIII they will be the reason! (H/T-MS)
Oligarchs once more, CHS has one out about wealth inequality is the number one problem as the parasite class just never has enough and wants it all by any means necessary.
Pakistan sounds like an underdog and I thought everyone in muh demockcracy just loved them some underdogs?
Saw one that Trump said to Trudeau regarding the tariffs, well Canada can become the 51st state and and you can be the governor for the gut busting laugh of the day.
Breaking from Judas Priest:
Breaking The Law (Instrumental)