Caught Between Emotions And Rhetoric

Those of us who have seen Punjabi flicks growing up, will tell you, those are such a fun to watch. Absurdity and stupidity unlimited. Yet there is nothing like it, that brings the amount of hearty laughter out so spontaneously. If you were to compare our current political situation, it almost feels like you are watching a Punjabi action "fillum. " There is plenty of verbal exchange, loud and deafening between the adversaries, then there is a "faight" and finally the film may end with a predictable ending.

After Osama's episode, one would conclude, that we would get our act together and put ourselves on the right path. But it seems like the entire chain of command, political or otherwise, has been an ardent fan of Punjabi movies. While the deranged lot, is busy with its lame conspiracy theories as usual, every spokes hole is giving the usual "barak" to the Americans. Of course knowing full well, that they are not able to take the "phats" from the Yankee "Jatts."

Let's take a quick look, shall we. So according to many, this was a drama to malign Pakistan and its mighty security establishment. So where did the wives and children of Late Bin Laden come from? Hollywood I guess. Gosh those choppers brought an armada of actors with them. Every one and their mother in law around the globe is willing to buy, that this was Bin Laden who perished, except a lot of our "ghairat mands." They are sort of hung in the middle, cannot swallow or spit this one. Almost gagging and with each passing day, exacerbating the whole situation.

The blood, DNA, physical evidence, videos do not mean anything to them. They are dismissing all of that as CIA job to avenge the Davis let down. Hmm.. Do they really think that a President would be able to pull this hoax, with ease. When the nay sayers can easily put a supposedly live Bin Laden to discredit Obama in minutes. Then there are those who swear up and down, he died long time ago. Well someone must have buried him, perfect opportunity to stick this one to the "Imperialists" by unearthing the remains and showing the world. Tough one I guess.

The ever mighty security establishment has accepted, the inept government has nodded, the militants with their ilk have offered their prayers in absentia, but the ones with over supply of ghairat are unwilling to yield. One has to ask them, what did Osama do for them or for Pakistan or Muslims? Did he donate his personal wealth to the poor Muslim nations? But nothing really matters to this crazy lot. It is called the infantile Islamic superiority (read stupidity) complex. No Muslim can ever do any wrong and the whole world is out to get Muslims, is their deduction. Go figure.

Even the children know this golden rule, when they play. If you have the ability to face off, then and only then instigate and invite trouble. Otherwise the opponent will pound you with full force. Remember our tall claims that we had pummeled the Indians in 1971 and in Kargil, the reality was to the contrary. How about the Gulf war (s), so much noise from Saddam. At the end of first one he retreated from Kuwait. What happened after the second one, brought a tight noose around his neck. The pretext to initiate the Second Gulf war in Iraq, may be wrong. But let me ask a simple question, wasn't Saddam given a fair warning? Only if he had the best interest of his people in mind, he would be sitting pretty somewhere in the world today in exile, sipping some hot coffee. How about our "strategic liabilities" across the border in Afghanistan. The rest is all history.

Here at home, when the Americans did what they promised they would, we are still playing the usual games. We are still trying to fool ourselves, knowing the Americans are not going to buy our double talk. Those of us who use to take great offense to the demands of "more" by the Americans, are busy doing "more of the same." Spin total Pakistani style.

At first it was the PM Sahib, who blamed the entire world for the faulty intelligence. Hmm..did some one ask him how in the world is the entire world responsible for the intelligence within Pakistan? Then the mighty security czars just brushed it off as an oversight, yet giving the usual "barak" to India. The so bright politicians traded barbs with each other on the floor of the wrestling arena (oops I meant the National Assembly) and tried to link one another to Osama. Although they were trying so hard to disassociate themselves from him in front of the world outside.

No we never did learn from the mistakes of the past. This recent episode is a testimony that we never will. Only a fool would think, that Americans will seek consent prior to taking down any additional high value targets within Pakistan. The sovereignty debate is so hollow that it is not even bemusing. Its the strategic depth gone wrong, which has become our strategic ditch. One would have thought that this time around, we would grab the bull by the horns. The way it looks like, not happening in my lifetime. Seems to me we are getting ourselves ready for a rather predictable end, much like our Punjabi flicks.

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