Courage in a Time of Chaos

BENAZIR BRUTALLY ASSASSINATED, screaming headlines, babbling reporters, various "close friends" opinionating in interviews, public shock, rage, grief, confusion, chaos, burning buildings and smashed cars....same scenario repeating itself when an entrenched leader goes down. One has to acknowledge her raw courage in returning for the elections in the face of sure threats and danger, whatever the reasons behind that.
Or did she have the mind set of a soldier in a war who has to keep going forward by telling himself "it won't happen to me, the bullets will get those around me but not me," till the final moment when the bull/shell/whatever with his name on it takes him down???
After the emotions, good, bad, indifferent, have poured out she will be a part of history and will be judged for what she did when she lead, rather than by the tragic nature of her death.That will be the epitaph for Benazir, just as it is for anybody who lead any country's people.

Masadi & Bulleya

You both have some good points.

Here's my $0.02

PPP has really treated pakistan like a fiefdom this time around. They were a party based on principles at some point in time but no more.

For a party this big & with true roots in the people, it was stupid to ignore senior leadership like Fahim or Aitezaz.

The party just proved that it does not itself belief in the principles it preach.

It is amazing to see that majority (not all) of the PPP follower actually do believe in the higher principle of democracy. That IS the reason that PPP is still strong compare to any other party even PML, whose followers were not that much of a believer in their ideology. Moreover the ideology of division based on Hindu Muslim was very weak if not flawed, cos it died right after Pak was created & lost all the charm.

The leaders of PPP underestimated the power of those higher principle & today by nominating Mr 10% & Son, Inc. infact insulted the common follower & of PPP.

These followers would have followed Aitezaz or Fahim just as much as they will Mr10%.

Shame on BB, PPP leadership, Shame on Aitezaz & Amin Fahim if they agree to this & Shame on all who decide to stay with PPP from now on.

I am glad that I am not a part of that inheritable jaidad called people of Pakistan anymore. God Bless Pakistan & the maal maweeshi people who live in it.

bulleya writes "in pakistan's case, this is a fiefdom.....much different from a dynasty "

Once again, clueless generalizations that are the hallmark for military apologists of Pakistan. The PPP was an anomaly, it was not the same colonial/feudal nexus that defined the politics of the MAJ. It was something new in that it awakened the masses to their rights and their worth, contrary to the feudal image of them. What is happening at the top, the manipulation of the Bhutto name is for the purpose of managing the powerbase of the party, the people, whose support for the party was located not in the name of Bhutto but in the socialistic principles he embodied and struggled for. Benazir coopted her father's principles and reverted to the colonial/feudal nexus of the past in large reason due to the fate she saw her father suffer and (and bulleya deliberately evades this connection) that all political players have to operate under the shadow of the Pakistan Army, which by the way as an instituion operates in a monarchial way moreso than what any feudal can muster, considering the country to be its papa's Jagir to be taken over, used and abused at will. Right now the ppp has been hijacked by Zardari and his alliance with the military/US PML-Q faction. I wouldn't be surprised if he conspired using trusted insiders to get rid of the BB.

# 4, well recieved observations. What has happened is truly bizarre. It seems Zardari was using his son as a trojan horse... Zardari probably felt too insecure to go it alone on his own steam.

Interjecting Bilal as 'bloodline' chairman is an insult to people like Aitizaz (whether Aitizaz will admit it or not).

Re: # 7 romair you have described correctly social situation . country has become stagnant pool of feudals. one person can not clean this mess,they go to other clean pond, usa , west, middle east etc. every body who can leaves, these are good ambitious people , cream of pakistan. then they maay come back pick up good men and women and they are gone.before g we were lucky as many hindustani ambitious muslims left for freign country, pakistan. that kept feudal backward minded peoples country alive by addition of hindustony muslims which brought up social iq. then they started leaving and more calamity started even more backward like jungli tribals of afghanis poured and changed b stan and nwfp. now these jungli tribals influence everthing. it is like weed invading normal crops and interaction is bad. feudals dominate urbans. one pakistani friend of mine said in usa like nice white people marry africans, or pakistani marrying white children always look dark pakistani, never as good as real white. its world rule bad is powerful than good. this feudal thing is going up. when liquit khan was killed hindustani muslims did not went on rumpage. while feudals sindis just went on burning , like mad men and that was for saddist fun.really they wanted to blame mqm but there was no smoking gun. central leadership of mqm was afraid to stop violence due to possible pouring gas on fire and giving reason for sindhis to make riot. anyway now we have god bilawal, praise bilawal. It appears dam is mountain can npt be bkoken lots of sediment accumilating. Inretropect Nehru did good for india leading to socially stirring up of society and leading to rise up of backwards and leading to more integration horizontally and vertically. As ylh said but about Kashmir he was just dictector.also till new rulering pm and elections finished Kashmir problem is dead. You have suggested good formula for that question , after another few wars (4) in next 50 years finally problem will be solved as you suggested.
At this time command and control of nation must be army, as otherwise ethinic problems will flare up about compension for gas by B.stan and more water problems for water by sindh. army will go back slowly. They ruled for 50 years they will take time to withdraw to great extent about 25 to 30 years. unrealistic expectations leads to unrest.
Do you see on horizon any social change weakening feudal make up of country ? Good night

Re: # 7

interesting. how relevant are the ethnic favoritism aspects-i.e. the Bhuttos really just looked out for Sindhis...?

also, there are some ivy league and public uni grads who do a lot of good work. the questions are always about service and proven records of credibility.

lemon #4: "how can one manage the terms "democracy" and "dynasty" in the same breath?"

...this is not a dynasty.....if it was a normal dynasty, things would be ok.....nehrus are a dynasty.....kennedy's are a dynasty......they are families, who come through a system and get into power, due to their family name.....

in pakistan's case, this is a fiefdom.....much different from a dynasty.....these people don't come up through a system.....they come up through a social set up.....

half to two-third of pakistan is feudal/pir.....so when one feudal dies, the control of his land is taken over by his son (or daughter)......this is how it has worked since the days of kings, and continues today....would anyone complain if humayun took over from babar.....similary, the people in most of pakistan have no issue when bilawal takes over from benazir....similary the pir's son takes over from him......it is immaterial if the son is a toddler.....a king passes things onto his son, not to the son of his gardner......

so under the bhutto name is a huge network of feudals and pirs...ppp's whole top leadership barring the odd aitezaz are pirs and feudals......collectively they control sind, punjab etc.....so when each one dies, his son becomes the next mna......

benazir sat at the top of this hierachy, because her father was the most intelligent amongst his fellow feudals.....so her son was to lead the sons of her lieutenants, when they all, collectively, came of age....unfortunately, it happened earlier than expected.....so now he is in.....within twenty five years, the sons of the remaining ppp leaders will be under him.........

this is bad enough when they are only ruling over their constituencies......but now since there is democracy, they can join into a political party, and rule over all of us also......and they get access to not only their own resources on their lands, but to all of the state's resources.....so what all of us urbanites say is quite immaterial......pakistani politics is rural.....

......these kids go to the best schools in pakistan or to british schools.....they live in karachi, islamabad and london.....they then go to harvard or oxford or somewhere......then they return, and write some poetry, publish the odd mediocre to below-mediocre english novel, some articles in daily times and friday times on how women are suppressed in pakistan and on democracy (never commenting on how feudalism is the actual cause of this)......by that time, they are around 25, when they contest their first local election.....then at 28, their first provincial election.....and then at around 31 or so, they take a seat in the national assembly, and become the minister of this or that......then they get married to another pir or feudal's kid......and life goes on.....then someone kicks them out......they go to jail for a year or so (become martyrs through jail) and get even more votes the next time.......making sure that no one can ever vote out feudalism in pakistan, while they are in the assembly...

quite simple....

p.s. having said, i would actually like to support the author of this article as a leader....i say this in all seriousness......she is a feudal off-spring.....now if her ancestors are big enough feudals to have lands through which they can become mna's, then she is in line.....

seems decent enough.....if one is to be ruled by feudal off-spring, then might as well be ruled by one who seems decent....

Re: # 4

how can one manage the terms "democracy" and "dynasty" in the same breath?

And HOW CAN A CONVICTED CRIMINAL JAILED FOR CORRUPTION be given a leadership position of a major party and potentially of the country?!

Re: # 3

Bina, could you write to this latest development on abu zardari and zardari betay's being handed the leadership of the ppp, which seems to me incredibly stupid?

also, some of the pak ams here are pointing out that the destruction of public property, buses, stores, etc. is no longer just an expression of grief, its an expression of ppp criminality/intimidation. why destroy what common people rely on to function daily?

comments, anyone?

..i think if one is realistic, and not idealistic, one has to say there is trouble ahead......the three groups that need to be taken out of pakistani politics are military, feudal/pir/tribal leaders, and maulvis......

......unfortunately, all three have gotten stronger, and there is no one else in sight.....to the point that even educated people have started looking to one of the above three for leadership.......

...the appointment of a 19 year old as the head of ppp, should leave no doubt that it is only interested in its feudalist/pir faqiri.......this would be extremely hilarious, if it wasn't so sad.......

......pakistan's politics and life are in the rural areas.......not on chowk.......and in rural areas, for generations, people have considered feudals/pirs/tribal leaders to be their gods......it is this passion and not the passion of democracy, through which such parties get votes.......

zardari is now going to head the largest party in pakistan, with bilawal waiting in the wings......truly amazing!......i can just see aitezaz ahsan lining up behind bilawal......it will be quite a sight......i have already seen sherry rehman do it......

don't be surprised it bilawal ends up marrying someone's daughter from pml......

it is basically a kingdom......when the pir dies, his son takes over, even if he is 5......when a feudal dies, his son takes over even if he is 10......this is bad enough, for the poor people who live under the constituency of these leaders........but when all these pirs and feudals join together to form a party, then their children end up ruling over pakistan.......

pakistan is, now, doomed on both sides.....if it is dictatorship, it is doomed, if it is a democracy it is doomed.......

mr. 10% as the next prime minister of pakistan.....or will it be amin fahim.......the guy who has four sisters married to the quran......the generals are going to have a feast with these two (and with bilawal).........

it's about time that the intellectual and leftist urban wing of the ppp broke away and formed a party under someone like aitezaz ahsan.....i think there is more than enough know-how in the urban sector of pakistan, where the bhutto name is no longer needed......

in a sense, pml(n) is now an urban party, as its feudal/pir wing has broken off into pml(q)....

not that i have against the author, but if my info is correct, she, herself is from a feudal family......a bit like bilal musharraf coming on and asking for everyone to stick together to save pakistan........

The enemies of Pakistan have moved quickly indeed. Mr. 10% installed himself and his son using "mohtrama's will" as if PPP was some kingship rather than a political party that stands for democracy. Talk about "democracy" ring hollow when you dont practice what you preach.

The true Pakistani patriots meanwhile languish incommunicado in jail - like the Chief Justice, like Aitezaz Ahsan - or are otherwise sidelined - as in case of the media bans.

Bibi -- the enemies of your beloved Pakistan are your beloved Pakistanis -- nobody else -- do you want me to name them -- the top name on that list is called Mooshruff.

Bina, its right that anger is always appropriately blamed for flawed thinking since it tends to alter perception of risk, increase prejudice, and trigger aggression. but do u really think its only anger of common man thats getting destructive, well i have some serious doubts about it. after all we dont start burning our own homes when we go through the same feeling of loss and hurt. I really dont understand the destructive reactions of people, have we gone mentally sick..?