Campaign Tribulations

It is amazing to me just how much safer the United States is when not in an election year cycle. I think back to a time when we were under emanate threat nearly every single day, or at least whenever Senator John Kerry would either gain ground in the polls or make critical statements of the Administration.

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Then of course the election was over and through some, lets say unique counts in Ohio, and Florida, President Bush won the second term that his father never did, Kudos kid. Therefore the war in Iraq had produced its intended result, keeping the Republican Party in Power, no matter the consequences to the integrity of the country.

Then came the “Next Great Awakening” of the American people, except those who believe President Bush was hand picked by God, that the foreign policy of Bush II has been a failure, and despite blatant attempts by campaigns to stoke the racial insensitivities of the south, and by insensitivities I mean implying a black man was involved with a white woman, the Republican Party lost control of an ineffective and downgraded institution that had shirked its responsibilities as a check on Presidential Power. Editor’s note: the campaign ad cited above worked as the “Black” candidate ended up losing.

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We now have the self-congratulatory Administration cooing that the United States has not had an attack, on US soil, by the vile terrorists because of the great leadership of Sainted Reagan High Priest President Bush. While in the same breath they tell you to pay no mind to the fact that it had been seven years between the attacks on the World Trade Center by terrorist organizations of the Islamic persuasion. Yet we are to believe that was more because of terrorist ineptitude and laziness, rather than the vigilance of the Clinton Administration.

We are now supposed to praise this Administration for the “actions” they have taken in regards to the British government capturing a terrorist ring, and earlier this week those who would have attacked an embassy in Azerbaijan. Except that we only have the Administration’s highly-esteemed credibility to saying they were even peripherally involved.

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We can only wonder what kind of tricks to be played during this coming election. Especially when the Republican Party is facing a very tenuous situation. They do not have an ordained leader who has the Blessing of Ronald Reagan, peace be upon him. The candidate that is most staunch in the conservative philosophy is Senator john McCain, who lost to Bush in part because of phone polls asking, “Would you be more or less likely to vote for McCain if you knew he had an illegitimate child with a black woman.” These were performed by an organization that was Bush Affiliated. So unlike teh Republican Party to use race in order to obtain power.

Instead they seem to be deciding upon a Mayor of a Blue State that is Catholic, and a Governor of another Blue State that is Mormon. Both groups have been reviled by the Evangelical Protestants that believe everyone but them is either destroying America or gay, ironic in the sense that it seems to be it is they are the ones destroying America and turn out to be gay.

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And who do they have running against them? The wildly popular Senator Barak Obama, whose speech at the DNC electrified the audience and gave us a glimpse of the type of leadership that could have united our political differences rather than continuing to tear us apart. The other strong candidate is of course a Senator from New York, who also happens to be the wife of a President who did lead us to prosperity and understands the complexities that exist within the world. These examples in leadership is even more refreshing when one looks at the “example” of leadership Bush and Cheney give to us.

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So while the personalities of our candidates may not be as bold or alluring which is what I kept hearing during Bush II’s first campaign. “He is so personable while Gore is so boring” PEOPLE, this is for the Presidency of the United States, not a contest of who you want to have a beer with. We have seen what happens when we elect someone solely on the fact that we may like them, and well how bad can he screw up? Keeping the American people from making this mistake for a third consecutive Presidential Race is our true Campaign Tribulation.

Don’t Drink The Water

Here is the scenario, you have a a standard issue M-4 Carbine with a gas operated rotating bolt capable of firing 700-950 5.56 mm cartridges in one minute. Also attached is the M203 “who nanny” grenade launcher special. You and your squad of ultimate bad-asses are attempting to clear a building that, either has terrorists planning to attack a convoy, or a family of eight finishing night-prayers. The dilemma is, do you go guns blazing? Or do you attempt to secure the room and merely return fire if fired upon?

Turns out your answer will depend on whose name is on the check paying you for your services. If you are a member of our prestigious armed forces, then you are held to the highest standard of honor and your actions will be for you to secure the room, making sure no hostile action is taken unless shown towards you first. As per their combat and ethical training, guided by the rules of engagement.

Also seems that if you get your check from the State Department, er I mean, Blackwater, you can just about kill who ever you choose to because you have blanket immunity. So you can go through the door blasting cause, hell, what is the Iraqi government gonna do to you. No worry of criminal proceedings, no court martial to worry about, you are golden.

The administration doesn’t seem to mind since they are Mercenaries, I mean contractors, not representatives of the United States Military. Which is another example of the Bush II administration complete ignorance to the complex sensitivities within the Middle East in general and Iraq in particular. If the people killing Iraqis aren’t other Iraqis, they tend to get a little upset.

So even though, to my knowledge, Blackwater doesn’t wave the American flag, or have the flag emblazoned on their uniforms they are still seen as the tools of the American government and we will be blamed for the atrocities even if we attempt to enact a Reagan policy tool of “plausible deny-ability”. It is these actions that solidify the ideology of the Islamo-Fascist, or whatever buzzword we are supposed to use this week.

This also opens the door to very damning criticism to the administration and the Secretary of State should Congress decide to investigate how broad this immunity went, unlikely cause that may actually bear fruit. The President has maintained that the United States “does not partake in torture”which would be consistent with the values of or country and preserve the moral high ground when dealing with an enemy that takes satisfaction from the slaughter of innocent women and children.

Given the nature of man and the numerous amount of examples that history gives us about the cruelty we are capable of, one has to entertain at least the possibility that the “workers” at Blackwater may be a shield of technicality for the Bush Administration interrogation programs. This would at least be consistent with the allegations that we ship captives to places where the rule of law is much more flexible in terms of treatment of prisoners.

What this policy has the potential to do is legitimize the tactics taken by other countries not only against out own troops should future conflicts occur, but rather the level of brutality governments may treat their own citizens in order to maintain their rule. An example of legitimizing torture tactics would come from the United States last poorly planned, but honorably fought war Vietnam. The Hanoi Hilton was notorious for its mistreatment of captured US personnel, would the Bush Administration hold the actions taken by the Vietcong as despicable, or rather an instruction manual on how to break the will of an enemy?

These are the unintended consequences of an Administration that believes that they alone hold the moral truths and knowledge of how to defend the United States. The disregard for the political process, which is by its nature supposed to be slow to prevent such abuses in power, has been a staple of this administration only matched by their disregard of the intellect of the American Public.

This has created an even more apathetic reaction by the public for the Bush Presidency has shown that their is no room for dissent within his administration and no tolerance of accepting outside opinion that contradicts its own. Thus while a President had been impeached for having disregarding his vows of marriage, this President has done far worse, disregarding his vows to hold the public trust and the values of our Constitution. If you will not take a stand against that blatant misuse of power, my advice to you is don’t drink the water when you are being water-boarded.

Saudi Spin

What you are reading is no illusion, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has said that Great Britain is not taking the “War on Terrorism” seriously. Well, I am in a word stunned. The pure audacity of that statement just has to make you smile, cause it is ballsy for any country to condemn another in such a way. Even more so when the country taking the pot shot is Saudi freken Arabia.

For those who don’t know because they either haven’t seen “The Kingdom” or went to school in Mississippi here is a brief history of how the Kingdom of Saud came to be. WWI ended and control of the Ottoman Turks over the Middle East was sadly over, thus giving the Europeans something to mess up while they were still obliterating any chance Africa would have being a functional continent. Thus arbitrary lines were drawn, and “spheres of influence” put in place so people knew who was in charge. One of these people who wanted a silly little thing like “self determination” was Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. Whose family had twice before attempted to be the country’s leadership, the first time great-grand pappy Saud got pwned by the Ottoman Turks, and the second time grand pappy Saud got lit up by internal rivals.

In each of these grasps at power the family of Saud had as their ally the practitioners of Wahhabism which is a conservative sect within Sunni Islam. The followers of Wahhab believed in a strict adherence to the precepts of Islam, against a “perceived moral decline and political weakness” within the peninsula of Arabia. It is this background that we have the ideology of Osama Bin Laden begin to percolate, as the ruling government seems to serve the desires of the West.

This idea is seemingly proven by two embarrassing and critical events in the Middle East. The first would be the complete an utter failure of a Coalition of Arabic armies to destroy tiny little Israel. This is significant because the people in the region still, somehow, feel they are superior to the West in general and Jews in particular, because thousands of years ago they made cities. To Middle East, “Thanks for the cool history about empires, and especially Persia since it would lead to the movie 300, but your time as being a superpower is past.” Cause to say they lost to Israel is a little bit of an understatement, they beat them so bad their great grandchildren still walk funny.

The second significant event that I am cherry picking for my thesis, is when the Saudi Government turns to the West, namely the big-bad United States, to protect them against the evil that was Saddam Hussein during the First Persian Gulf war. Especially when one takes into consideration the “offer” of the Mujahideen leader, and to this point I still believe Saudi citizen, Osama Bin Laden. Fresh off their defeat of the Evil Empire that was the Soviet Union, one would think the Mujahideen would at least be capable in a fight. So it was to these fundamentalist radicals that the rulers of the Middle East had become morally and politically weak and that the region could only be made pure by blood and fire.

So with the history lesson over, we can get back to what the English response to Saudi Arabia should be. “Expletive Deleted You” was probably the first thought that came into the Head of Prime Minister Brown. Especially since the Saudi’s say the Brits failed to act on Intel given to them. So to recap if I tell you “my kids may throw eggs at your car” and I have been giving them throwing lessons, and eggs, and you don’t move your car, it is your fault for it being egged. (My lawyers are telling me I have to say that I do not endorse the egging of cars, unless they are KIA’s cause c’mon, they deserve it)

One has to look at the credibility of the one giving information as the first stage of interpreting the data. I will not be the first person to buy stocks from, “the people who brought you ENRON.” Especially when the Saudis shoot up a bunch of criminals, place them in black SUV’s place them in front of an Oil Refinery and say, “We killed terrorists.” You get a nod for trying but the substance is a little weak.

This is almost as neat a trick as telling the world that a terrorist attack that involved 17 out of the 19 perpetrators was the responsibility of a dude that people just happen to know who he is. If there was an attack on Los Angeles and 17 of 19 criminals involved were from Mexico, we would not invade Cuba. No matter how many proud Republican Cubans say we should. We would and should want to place the accountability on those who are responsible, either by taking part in the act, or by inaction allowed the act to occur.

Telling Wahhabits to stop teaching kids to “find the Jew, kill the Jew” would be an excellent place to start. Such action would be critical of our friends, and we don’t like to do that as a country, especially this President who is BFF with Putin. The very same guy undermining US efforts with Iran. The friend that does you harm is better than the enemy that wishes to do harm to you. So we let the Saudi family slide on at least a berating that they must take hold of responsibility of what their people do. Instead we get distracted by FOX news which always lead us into the “Saudi Spin Zone.”

Cuba Libre’

It truly does appear that the Bush Administration is watching the Legacy Shopping Network. While odd statements that seemingly appear out of no-where have been staples of this Administration, see “human-animal hybrid”, events over the last week has made even less sense.

We will begin by Secretary of State Condaleezza Rice’s statement concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conference as the most serious attempt, “in many, many years”. Of course by many, many years Secretary Rice means seven. This administration has been too concerned with changing the world’s oldest cultures, Babylon/Iraq and Persia/Iran, squandering the very real ability to use 9-11 as more than an election slogan.

There was an opportunity to be had, where we could have had the “leaders” of the Muslim world, both Secular and Religious, to determine what is the nature of the being Islam is to serve. A violent, bloodthirsty, hierarchical being that demands followers to kill their enemies by whatever tactics or weaponry be available, even the use of suicide bombers to kill the young and old, men or women, civilian or military. Or does Islam demand its followers to follow a path of peace, that while Allah does not look kindly upon sin, there are certain unquestionable precepts that Justice, Honor, and Virtue, are valued more than the direction one must face when giving homage to him.

It heretical for any man to think he knows the mind of his God. Thus is the spiritual nature of imperfect, fallible beings being unable to even contemplate the enormity of the Being that created them. It is true however to infer the basic nature of one’s Supreme Being through the revelation of the precepts handed down through Scripture, or teaching of the Prophets. For example, Sura 40 of the Koran states in verses 1-2, “The sending down of the Book from God, the Mighty, the Knowing the forgiver of sin and accepting of repentance.” Though it may be obvious I am a layman even in the ways of my own faith, much less a religion as complicated as Islam, but it would appear that the God of Muhammad would, at its core, be a being that favored Justice above all.

While there have been many of the Islamic Faith who have chastised the evil distortion of Al Qaeda and the Taliban’s version of Islam, these can be discredited as regimes wishing to retain their seemingly tentative hold on power by garnering support from the United States. While examples do exist which show decisions made for purely cold National Interests rather than fueled by pure morality, the United States has attempted to blend the two whenever possible. Squandered was an opportunity to not only change the image of the United States as a self-indulgent greedy warmongering power, and to show our true self to a region that is suspicious of our very presence.

Then of course we had the inaction of this administration to the Israeli Lebanese conflict that would certainly damage the United States credibility as being impartial towards the friction between the Israeli’s and their Arab neighbors. Although to be fair this Administration has shown itself to be sluggish and quick to inaction when our own citizens are under duress, so I suppose we should accept nothing else in regards to the suffering of others.

The curious legacy hunt came into further unfocus the other day when President Bush started picking on Fidel Castro and warning Cuba to “democratize” rather than pass power to younger brother, by like 5 yrs, Raul. Even though the mechanism of this power hand-off has been in effect for some time now. Perhaps it is because I am one of the few, apparently, Americans that realize Reagan’s Policy was perfect for the enemy that was the Soviet Union, is not a timeless and necessary to fall back upon strategy.

Circumstances change, it is the nature of the world we live in. Being able to bully someone who is not looking for a fight, is relatively easy affair. Example, Luxembourg, Stop your attempts to become a nuclear power and attempt to dominate Western European Politics, simple. What is more difficult is fighting someone who is looking for a fight, and not playing into their advantages. Case in point, challenging the French to an arrogance competition.

True leaders do not seek out a legacy. They allow their actions, based on the coming together of circumstance, personal morality, and determination. The annals of history will judge some harsher than others, though it may be true that it is better to have been forgotten than remembering for having been able to change the global dynamic, and instead preferred to use fear to maintain power. So barkeep, give me another Cuba Libre’

A Lesson in Physics

My apologies to those of you hoping to get a taste of my wit in explaining why Iran is too immature to be allowed nuclear weapons. There is a much more deserving target of my disdain today, and unless the resident should figure out what the red button is for, I suppose Iran will be there for at least another day. No I am placing my hate towards something we can all relate to, Stupid people who are allowed to drive.
I would like to use this public forum to berate the imbecilic, idiotic and other derogatory words that begin with I, that is the Northern Virginia/District of Columbia driver. Now I understand that people may have different driving patters due to the weather, I get that, but to slow to a crawl on the freeway because of mist is unacceptable.

Now physics is the general rules that, even if you are a Southern Baptist, apply to the known universe. One of these quite simple rules is two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. So if I am in the middle lane YOU cannot, so stop trying to muscle over. You can either wait the .51 milliseconds it takes for me to get by you, or speed up a tad.

As we are on the subject for those of you who use the blinker, it was designed to let people know your intentions to move over, make their own adjustments, then allow you in. It is not a “I have my blinker on, I am coming in” device. You are counting on the other driver being aware that you think you are important; when dear friends even your mom and God can’t stand you. I know cause they both told me you were a mistake.

Another thing as we are on the topic of lane changes, “Merge” is defined by dictionary.com as “to combine blend or unite gradually so to blur the individuality or individual identity of. This means that you use the merge lane in order to “gradually unite” into the flow of traffic. Not speed down the lane and then at the last minute cut someone off.

“But teacher”, you will say, “the merge lane seems to move faster.” It is because numb-nuts like you keep cutting everybody off to let you in. If everybody is going 20 miles an hour it would be transitioning fine, but because you mutants keep cutting everybody off, we have jerky stop and go traffic. So everybody loses, especially me, because you are ignorant of how befuddling stupid you are, whereas I have to risk an aneurysm because I am screaming at you.

Also if someone is trying to pass you, that is not a sign that you then need to speed up; just to keep in front of someone. That move just proves that you like to kick puppies and stomp babies. The time to speed up, or “merge” into the slow lane would be before people actually need to speed by your driving ms daisy self.

I feel as though I am forgetting something, ah yes, if there is a traffic jam and nobody else is moving, DON”T honk your horn at me. Though I may have intellectual powers that appear god-like, they have limitations. I cannot hurl the cars in front of me to make way for you because you want to watch the 15th rerun of Kermit the Frog. Though it would be cool, but the physics won’t allow it.

Czar Putin: Our World’s Greatest Hope

There were some rivalries that echo through the annals of history and that pushed the world to become a more advanced better place. These included Greece and Persia; Rome and Carthage; Great Britain and France; and the United States and the Soviet Union. I know some people are trying to make China the next Super Power we can maybe have a rivalry with, but it just doesn’t have the same feel of mutual disdain and mistrust like the good ones.

Maybe it is Human Nature to reminisce about better times, but it truly felt that we were safer when the world was on the brink of nuclear destruction. Everything just had more meaning to it in the old days, a prime example would be the Olympics. There was really truly human drama going on. Everybody watching knew if the Russian figure skater, or gymnast fell or did something to mess up the routine, she was going to get shot for “failing the state”.

Now our Olympic rivalries come in the form of individual events, instead of in terms of most medals won. To underscore this point, Australia is our biggest rival in swimming. Whoopdy frekin do, I mean I like Australia, with its exports of Outback Steakhouse, Fosters beer commercials and crazy wildlife show hosts, but I can’t get geared up to beat them in any kind of competition, they are just not on our level.

It was not only the Olympics that was more riveting, but the Middle East was a much quieter place too. I mean their choices (in their eyes) were: Deal with the Infidel Christian Western Crusaders who pay us good money for oil; or Deal with the Infidel Atheist Communist Soviets who will pay us less money for oil. But the Soviet Union couldn’t just leave well enough alone could they, although it must have been pretty bad if they felt they needed to invade Afghanistan for natural resources, since all they are known for is dirt, opium, and sand.

There is hope for those of us who dream of better times, for Russia is now led by a former KGB agent who understands the need for a new Soviet State. Czar Putin has taken the frail democracy that semi-legitimately existed and has molded what the Russian people truly want, a power on the global stage. Who needs to feed citizens or protect nuclear missile bunkers when you can challenge the United States over having a missile shield?

The Soviet Union was the perfect enemy for the United States to stand against. As an economic system the Soviets believed they would truly win in the long run, therefore they would push militarily when it was advantageous. However, they could be deterred should the advantage not be highly in their favor. In addition it cannot be discounted that the necessity of the state to undermine religious authority, may have also impacted this decision. When one believes either their is no afterlife, or the afterlife they will go to is a warm, they will do what they can to postpone such dismal outlooks.

We were the morally righteous, altogether insensitive but meaning well Americans. We may have “interfered” in a few places but only to make sure that people could be treated as people. At least our heart was in the right place.

That is all that Czar Putin is attempting to do; bring the world to a safer more stable place. The world was never more safe than when it was on the verge of Destruction, and that is why Czar Putin is our greatest hope.

Zimbabwe: The Happiest Place on Earth

Imagine if you could a place where money was of no worth. A place where the money given to you was more valuable as an agent for starting a fire, rather than being able to actually spend it. This is the current status of Zimbabwe, whose inflation rate has reached 1600% according to the BBC. Now exactly what does this mean and who the hell cares?

Inflation is the term used to determine the increase in the amount of money available in the market, without having an increase in services. This is why 2 months ago my fast food dinner bill was 10.78 rather than 11 bucks even now. Stupid inflation. So what does this have to do with Zimbabwe oh Wise Holder of Knowledge?

It means that if any country in the WORLD needed a violent revolution to rid itself of incompetent and corrupt leadership, it is frekin Zimbabwe. I came upon this conclusion as I was interested to know who is second place in the worst economy sweepstakes. The answer didn’t kinda surprise me, it was Iraq,what did was the rate of inflation 40%. Lets repeat this for those not so good at math, Iraq: brink of civil war, terrorist attacks, Iranian influence, Turkey about to invade, inflation at 40%; Zimbabwe is at SIXTEEN HUNDRED PERCENT.

Who in the the hell is in charge of their country’s money? Is it a baboon? You can tell me if it is , in fact it would make me feel better in some strange way. I mean reasonable people can disagree on a variety of subjects, ice cream, religion, what to be for Halloween, if the University of Southern Cal operated by the Devil, but to refute that violent action not be taken against a government this ineptly stupid? Balderdash. (For those keeping score I am still unfamiliar with the type of language that will get me censored hence the old people speak)

Many will say, that is Africa. The history of the Continent has not been exactly the best when it comes to public relations, as all we hear about are famines, pestilence, revolutions and genocides. You are correct ladies and gentlemen, but it was not always so for Zimbabwe. Well for Zimbabwe maybe but not what it used to be called was Rhodesia. A colony that the Brits were really looking forward to keeping and making it a success.

To be sure their were problems of social unrest though not as serious as the country of South Africa with the Apartheid, but there were enough to cause concerns since the White Minority held all the power and money. So it came to be that Rhodesia became splintered into two countries North became Zambia and the South became Zimbabwe. This of course skips over the White Minority Government putting down democratickish uprisings. Some of which were legitimate, while others not so much.

So it was that in the year 1980 Zimbabwe became a country under the once rebel leader and now Executive President Robert Mugabe. Hailed as a hero for his freedom fighting/insurgent campaign depending on how you look at it, he became “responsible” for the citizens of the newly formed country. Instead he saw that the white minority, while without political power still held the financial reigns. While we can agree social reforms are indeed necessary they must be taken with responsible and good natured intentions that are fair to those who need help and those you are “taking” the help from.

Mugabe’s policy was, whites have the farm land which makes them rich, kill or force them away and then my people will then be rich. Problem solved. Except not really if you give it to people who don’t know what in the hell they are doing with the farmland. Not to mention the fact that the rest of the International Community would have a problem with such a ridiculous and short minded policy. What had happened is the economy went into the tank and what had been known as the “Breadbasket of Africa” is now known as the Happiest Place on Earth.

Pakistani Politics

Welcome one and all to the inner thoughts of a tormented genius that cannot help but observe and mock the absurdity of what the Human Being is capable of doing to one another. Though one may look to all corners of the globe to find such degradation of human worth, it seems as though the Middle East is often the poster child for such behavior. While the blog-o-sphere is full of either neo-conservative sites striving to destroy the people and their culture, as well as liberal hippies who seem to think if we smoke the proverbial peace pipe all will be fine; I have an altogether different take: The people there need to make smarter decisions.

Case in point is the obscenely stupid, arrogant, and power hungry arrival of Benazir Bhutto. This formerly exiled leader of Pakistan had been kicked out, and kept out, because of mismanagement of government and corruption. Now, in the Middle East this is common place and will be further discussed for my soon to be loyal and devoted readers, but the events of the last couple of days shows how incompetent Bhutto is.

For those who don’t know, Pakistan’s problems stem from them having fundamentalist Muslims who favor the ideals espoused by Al Qaeda and their buddies the Taliban. As such the have very, lets be polite and say quaint views of what the roles of women should be in their society. Here comes the shocker; being the head of the government and telling these “men” what to do isn’t in the list. For those of you faint of heart, please take a moment to recover as I am sure this is a revelation for most of us.

So when news came out that Bhutto would come back and have a power sharing deal with current President Perves Musharraf, these groups were none too happy. They then fell back on what has become the stereotype of what Muslims do when they are angry and launch death threats and blow stuff up. To make matters worse, the level of mistrust and disdain between Musharaf and Bhutto is so high, that even after Musharraf told Bhutto, and I will paraphrase, “People are trying to kill you, give us another week or so before you come back” and yes she ignored this plea and came back anyway.

Of course the outcome was a bombing that killed almost 140 people went off the other day, aimed at trying to kill Bhutto and was unsuccessful. Well does this mean that she believes Musharraf and will work with him to try and stamp out the violent fundamentalists who use Islam as an excuse to do horribly nasty things to people while feeling they are ordained by Allah and thus avoid guilt? No, because that would make sense, instead their are claims that this is Musharraf attempting to get rid of her as well as counterclaims that Bhutto set this assassination attempt up herself in order to garner sympathetic support.

While this may seem a tragic and ridiculous plot line to a bad Steven Segal movie, which is redundant I know, this is what passes for an average political day in the life of a politician in the Middle East. And while we in the West believe that it is a local problem and that there is no need for us to take notice, please consider this, the citizens of Pakistan have decided that these events are not the result of evil men planting bombs, nor a former exiled leader in a rush to build a following to garner more power, nor even a President who is so desperate to keep power he places personal power over national interests, they blame us my friends. For we are the ones who do not seem to care about their plight, leaving people in charge who do not care that the county becomes a cesspool of death and destruction, so long as they can have the title of being in charge of it.