[Dawn] AS a peaceful protest, the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... 's anti-drone march fell well within democratic norms. What was also clear, though, is that its motive was election-era politics rather than confronting the roots of the problem itself. While roundly criticising the Pak and US administrations, the party focused far less on the fact that Pakistain's drone policy, whatever it may be, is being carried out with the approval of the Mighty Pak Army and the cooperation of Pak intelligence. So while it may have been effective political propaganda, whether or not the protest will put pressure on those really responsible for the drones mess is questionable.
The frustrating truth is that the real nature of America and Pakistain's agreement, or lack thereof, on the drones programme is growing more, not less, murky. The conventional wisdom seemed to be that a programme that was once jointly conducted by the two countries, at least in terms of intelligence-sharing and Pakistain providing a physical base, had now become one conducted by the US without Pakistain's involvement. But a series of reports in Western media outlets are now claiming that Pakistain is still given some knowledge of upcoming drone strikes. Even then, there is no consensus on the extent of the
information provided -- whether it is just an indication of the broad area within which strikes will take place or an actual list of targets -- or on whether or not Pakistain acknowledges receiving the information. The bottom line is that the extent of collaboration remains behind a veil of secrecy that neither the US nor Pakistain governments and intelligence agencies seem eager to lift.
Nor is it clear whether or not the drones are legal -- partly because it is unclear how much consent Pakistain provides -- how targets are selected, or how snuffies are distinguished from civilians present in areas where krazed killer activities are being plotted or carried out. All of which has turned drones into a genuine human-rights issue of great sensitivity for many Paks. That in turn means the programme has become a lightning rod for anti-US sentiment and is also being used to support the argument that military action is not the solution in even Fata's most krazed killer-infested parts. Until the Pak military makes a genuine effort to root out snuffies from the tribal areas, or the government develops a joint mechanism with the US for conducting the programme and shares it with the public, the controversy over drones could derail the objective of cleansing the tribal areas of snuffies who threaten not only other countries, but Pakistain itself.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/10/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
Meanwhile, not to be outdone in Drone-hate by Osama-loving Pakistanis ...
* CHINA DAILY FORUM > ONE-THIRD OF AMERICANS FEAR DRONES, SAYS AP POLL IN CONJUNCTION WID NCC [National Constitutional Center].
ARTIC = Up to 30,000 Drones may be flying in the skies oer Amerika by 2020 [2020-2022].
versus
* CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > GENERAL DEMPSEY UNVEILS BLUEPRINT FOR PENTAGON FUTURE FORCE.
#5
Tehrik-e-Insaf had one person in Parliament after the 2002 elections. They have no one in the current Parliament because they boycotted the 2008 elections.
They have become very popular 'in the street' by protesting corruption and violence (of which Pakistan has plenty) but avoiding advocacy of specific actions. Imran Khan, the party leader has no real govt experience but his followers think of him as 'the one we've been waiting for'.
Posted by: lord garth ||
10/10/2012 11:33 Comments ||
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#3
The self made people can be some of the most beautiful independent rascals you could ever hope to meet. The buck stops here. They never stop. they can lose millions and make millions. Look at how many people Romney has helped and continues to do. Outstanding example for others to see. You don't hear about it because only the government is supposed to do that.
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/10/2012 9:40 Comments ||
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#5
Nah, Frank, Champ will just nationalize the timeshare industry in his second term. Timeshares will be free. In Detroit...
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/10/2012 10:30 Comments ||
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#6
I've actually spoken to my wife about this kind of thing.
I got retired early 2.5 years ago and can't get a job that I want. Since I planned pretty well we're doing Ok but I've started thinking about a bolt hole if Zero cheats his way to a win.
Any ideas on where to go with a moderate (x<1 meg) size stake?
#9
Any ideas on where to go with a moderate (x<1 meg) size stake?
A couple people I know that retired, and have seen good stories and reports of it, is going to Costa Rica. Friendly to anglo types, cheap and decent standard of living. You can retire with 100k and live like a well off man for decades.
#13
Rural Nevada. We're not very friendly or particularly attractive, but we're heavily armed, protective of our own, and it's *extremely* cheap to live out here.
#15
Costa Rica is nice, but it's still expensive if you want american-style amenities. If you're willing to rough it, the South Pacific coast or inland is still cheep.
However, living in the a small US city (away from the coasts) is still the best value for your dollar. For example, the same home in Miami Beach costs 1/10 as much if you build it in Iowa, Nebraska, or southern Utah. Other living expenses are reduced also.
And you don't have to worry about different laws etc.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
10/10/2012 14:12 Comments ||
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#16
Muchos Gracias to all.
Of course the ONE problem is the Grandma effect. How far from the Grandkids can I persuade the Grandma to go?? 8^)
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[Dawn] AS a peaceful protest, the Pakistain 
