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While everyone is busy talking about Palin's children or the significance of an Obama speech, your nightly entertainment news channels completely ignore a serious and growing problem in Asia.
As everyone is now aware of the recent cross border raid by US forces into Pakistan and the fast exit of President and quasi dictator, Pervez Musharraf, little is mentioned of the rapidly declining state of this small but extremely important country.
Pakistan has in response to the US raid since sealed off its supply routes and roads into Pakistan from Afghanistan in an attempt to prevent further raids. In addition, this has led some to believe that Pakistan is regressing into a more sympathetic state to fundamentalist Muslims who according to some analyst are a breath away from obtaining nuclear weapons that Pakistan possesses. Its already established sympathies for Islamic extremist on its western border are only likely to increase.
Economically the debt of Pakistan has rapidly increased so that it is now seen as as some of the most risky credit investments in the world. This decline and possible shut down of external investment into the country only serves to create a more unstable situation than already exist.
On Pakistan's eastern border there is a resurgence of Han-Hindu extremist along the border with India in the Kashmir region. The escalation of violence in this area is not likely to subside and in addition risk getting China involved as it directly affects the sphere of influence that China has in the region.
Pakistan is quite literally being torn apart and while this might not be all that big of a deal to some, the fact that they are a nuclear nation should make everyone stand up and take notice.
Now... back to your regular scheduled programming... Brittney Spears makes a come back and offers to host a baby shower for Bristol Palin!
Last edited by TnHilltopper; 09-06-2008 at 12:23 PM..
Lovely... mini Musharraf... I feel better already!
Now, how long before Presidential candidates will be asked about this regional crisis that is developing by our press, I'm guessing never.
The journalists themselves are not too bright. They will ask questions, but ony cursory ones in the foreign affairs department. Remember, politicians are trying to convince people how "folksy" they are - simle, kiss babies, say how great god is, etc.. I for one could not give a rat's a$$ - when I need my eye checked, I go to a professional, not a folksy nut. When I need folksy, I say hi to my neighbor. I need a good leader who knows how to lead in a complex world - enough with the folksy crap.
We'll take down one country at a time. Iraq is done and we are now moving back to Afghanistan. Maybe Pakistan will be after that..unless some other nation needs our help before we get to Pakistan.
It sure is tough being the "keeper of peace" for the world.
And of course, once we invade and free the people we'll have to send a few billion or so over there to rebuild their infrastructure, put a "friend" in power and secure the oil.
I am of the opinion that we are seeing the limits of US power and influence abroad. Now this doesn't mean cannot affect change or any influence, only that we can no longer dictate our desires and make it happen as we have been.
I tried to say that having Musharraf in power and allied with us was more positive than negative, and a bunch of you guys blasted me for it. Now he's gone and the country is spiraling... Hmm...
I am of the opinion that we are seeing the limits of US power and influence abroad. Now this doesn't mean cannot affect change or any influence, only that we can no longer dictate our desires and make it happen as we have been.
I read in The Economist, which I used to subscribe, that a study was done looking at rise and fall of great empires. Not in all but in many cases, it was the overstretching of the military might (and the associated costs)that did a country in. This was also called the "imperial overstretch". There is a book "Rise and Fall of Great Empires" that was written by a Yale prof. The review in Economist cited this and made for an interesting discussion - I have not read the book though - no time since I am more worried about Brittany. Anyway, I was watching BBC news forum and an expert was correctly predicting that we are moving towards a muli-polar world. Also, the limits of military power alone have been clearly shown in the recent conflicts. So, yes, the influence is waning, which has its advantages (less war mongering) and disadvantages (less ability to control truly rouge states)
I tried to say that having Musharraf in power and allied with us was more positive than negative, and a bunch of you guys blasted me for it. Now he's gone and the country is spiraling... Hmm...
Who is to say that Musharraf's presence wasn't at least part of the reason Pakistan is falling apart? These things don't generally happen over night.
Pakistan and whomever is running that show is caught between its need to involved with the west and its need to address its more radical fundamentalist types. Musharraf tried to do both by not doing anything.
Quote:
Originally Posted by calmdude
I read in The Economist, which I used to subscribe, that a study was done looking at rise and fall of great empires. Not in all but in many cases, it was the overstretching of the military might (and the associated costs)that did a country in. This was also called the "imperial overstretch". There is a book "Rise and Fall of Great Empires" that was written by a Yale prof. The review in Economist cited this and made for an interesting discussion - I have not read the book though - no time since I am more worried about Brittany. Anyway, I was watching BBC news forum and an expert was correctly predicting that we are moving towards a muli-polar world. Also, the limits of military power alone have been clearly shown in the recent conflicts. So, yes, the influence is waning, which has its advantages (less war mongering) and disadvantages (less ability to control truly rouge states)
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