To Boycott or not to Boycott !

hamidm: and i see you are serious in your inability to understand the meaning of checks and balances. let me help..

ever been on a highway where the break lights come on and suddenly everyone is obeying the speed limit - because there is a cop car. and this is the US. the "civilized" country where people are not thieves like in Pakistan (per your understanding).

so that is what we are talking about - countries are gradually realizing, one after another, of the importance of checks and balances. it was the US in 1776 when the constitution was explicitly created with checks and balances; the french learnt about it in 1848 (when de tocqueville's book on Democracy in America became a best seller in france); germans and japanese were given some tough love in WWII and they got it; the hindus in india figuted that maybe the brits had something to teach them in respect to politics, and they created the greatest democracy on earth (if the pakistan experience is any guide, indian muslims would probably have screwed up and brought back a jahan-panah to rule over them).

Today millions of Pakistanis get it.

One day you and others like you will also get it. Or maybe you never will.

hamidm: "everyone does it" is a dumb excuse when coming from a teenager. coming from an older person...all I can say is that i hope for your sake that you are not being serious.

Re: # 41

"Our real problem is INCOMPETENCE, unprofessional work ethic and lack of appropriate accountability."

Finally, some words of wisdom.

Re: # 36

His Royal Highness says:

"Nawaz Sharif will probably get a lot more than 30-40 seats. Over 100 in my estimate given that much of the anti-establishment vote of boycotting parties will go to him."

Now that is a keeper, we shall return to this post come election time. By the way, according to my favorite Sheikh Rasheed, the Tinda najaiz badshareef is preparing for the next elections which he expects to happen in two years time, these are just a trial run b4 the real thing.

Aur aapnay farmya:

"Remember, PPP had 63 seats in the Sind assembly against 27 of MQM. But it was MQM who made the provincial government."

Mqm formed an alliance with the Other Muslim League (Q ETC), then only were they able to form government. This may offend thee, but it was in the best interest of awam un naas.

Re: # 39 hamidm [ "...do you think it was any different during the civilian governments ? ... all this nonsense about the rule of law by people currently out of power is just for show sha .. " ]

I couldn't agree more.

Now almost approaching a year of living in Islamabad I've seen the rot and corruption first hand. There is corruption at all levels, but I have observed the civilians in authority are more corrupt then faujis. The difference, per capita, I believe is stastically significant.

But I've also concluded that corruption is NOT our main problem. It's a curse, yes, but that is not why we are as fcuked up in Phuckistan as we happen to be.

Corruption can just be seen as additional cost of doing business provided that business WAS being done in a professional and competent manner. Bharat is probably just as corrupt, but that doesn't stop them from building great pyramids of progress (in an otherwise vast desert of crushing poverty), and becoming an economic giant.

No. Our real problem is INCOMPETENCE, unprofessional work ethic and lack of appropriate accountability.

...SR

Re: # 38

fakir,

.... chitrali is just as good - we need to support our own local businessmen ...

Re: # 37

tahmed,

....... do you think it was any different during the civilian governments ? ....... most of the people being whisked through the vip lounge at islamabad airport are civilians being whisked by other civilians ....... on my last visit to islamabad my brother-in-law tried to get me 'whisked' and he is a mere civilian in the travel business who has 'connections' at the airport .....he shook his head sadly when i told him i was okay with standing in line and waiting my turn ....... like i said, we are a nation of petty thieves where everyone tries to get away with whatever he can .... most of the cars parked illegally on the kerb at the airport belong to civilian senators, mnas and someone's niece who is married to the deputy director of the arts council's third cousin .....

....... as far as the common man is concerned, being the screwee, he will get screwed whether the screwer is in uniform or mufti ..... all this nonsense about the rule of law by people currently out of power is just for show sha ..

i was talking about hashish made in mazar sharif which is top quality

#35 hamidm #33: you cannot have been serious when you wrote that. unless you really WANT to see the present system perpetuate - where civilized hamidm sahib steps off the plane, sniffs at all these natives vying for the honor of carrying your bags, or perhaps have brother general falana show up in uniform with a couple of warriors to whisk mr. hamidm through the VIP lounge without having to bother with those damned corrupt civilians at customs, while havaldar sahib runs and gets your passport stamped.

nice set up. wont last. cousin major general will one day be put in his place.

#34 Posted by hamidm2,

... why can't nawaz sharif muster more than 30-40 seats and then hang on to them ?

Nawaz Sharif will probably get a lot more than 30-40 seats. Over 100 in my estimate given that much of the anti-establishment vote of boycotting parties will go to him. But that won't make him the PM.

Remember, PPP had 63 seats in the Sind assembly against 27 of MQM. But it was MQM who made the provincial government.

The army is incharge. They will decide on the PM.

Re: # 33

tahmed,

... wake up and smell the coffee - we are talking about pakistan and not norway ! ......... it is all about personalities even on the other side - the droopy eyed cj, aitizaz ahsan, imran khan, etc......... this independence of judiciary thing is just a cover for the dog-fight between chaudary iftikhar and musharraf ....... rule of law and other such niceties are for more civilzed folks .... let's stick to reality !

Re: # 32

zeemax,

... aap kay mun mein ghee shakar ! ........ i am relieved - the thought of fazloo standing in the rose garden with that ugly yellow towel on his head was beginning to frighten me ..... but tell me one thing - why can't nawaz sharif muster more than 30-40 seats and then hang on to them ?

#31 you need to think beyond personalities. we are talking unfettered dictatorship vs. rule of law with checks and balances to individual power. not general falana vs. politician dhamkana!! as father o'leary would no doubt have told you - get a paper and pencil and try to look intelligent.

#27 Posted by hamidm2,

so who do you think is going to be the pm ?

Rest easy. It is not going to be Fazlur-Rehman. Have you stopped listening to Sheikh Rashid? It is going to be BB. The removal of third time PM restriction is being drafted but the problem is that NS will then be eligible too. As soon as that problem is resolved, BB will be PM (till it lasts i.e.).

Re: # 28

tahmed,

.... you are a hopeless romantic! ........ musharraf is not going anywhere .... i used to think that his goose was cooked, but the man has more lives than mo's cat ! ....... he is a genius and worthy of worship ....... but don't get me wrong - i would be the first one to dump him if there was a real alternative ...... somehow, qazi hussain, the drropy eyed cj and imran khan don't cut it .......... i have already wasted a couple of years supporting asghar khan .......

#28 or maybe the rising sun wont be so lucky, and will get put on the next available prisoner's dock in Pakistan.