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Archive for June, 2012

British Banks: We Are Crooks. Dont Trust Us.

June 29, 2012 5 comments

Wonder what lessons James Crabtree has for British business and political elites! What SEC claims Rajat Gupta did, cost the market less than US$1 mn. What the LIBOR scandal has done has cost global consumers trillions? No one goes to jail?
Banks have told us they cannot be trusted. The character of the State we know | Pugh of dailymail.co.uk on the Barclays bank LIBOR scandal; Friday, Jun 29 2012 | Click for image.

Banks have told us they cannot be trusted. The character of the State we know | Pugh of dailymail.co.uk on the Barclays bank LIBOR scandal; Friday, Jun 29 2012 | Click for image.

Ba, ba Black Sheep

Wonder what lessons British captains of industry, commerce and business have learned?

By asking the State to take over, they are admitting they are a untrustworthy lot.

As for the British State, you can take the opinion of millions of Indians that the British State can definitely be trusted.

Only as far as you can throw it.

Baby wants more …

That leaves us with the Common Brit.

Stripped of all control and power over his life, the Common Brit whimpers for more of the State. Dependent on the State for food, shelter, education, jobs, medical assistance, the Common Brit no longer knows, whether he is coming or going.

What independent opinion, judgement can you expect from those who are dependent on a Criminal State and Klepto-Elite?

Wonder what lessons British media has for British business? | Cartoonist David Simonds on February 11, 2012; source & courtesy - guardian.co.uk | Click for image.

Wonder what lessons British media has for British business? | Cartoonist David Simonds on February 11, 2012; source & courtesy – guardian.co.uk | Click for image.

The British Bankers’ Association has asked the UK government to consider regulating and supervising the setting of the London interbank rate offered rate at the heart of Barclays’ £290m penalty for rates manipulation.

Under a historical quirk, the process of setting Libor has always been considered a private activity run by the banking trade body, although the banks who participate in the rate-setting process are regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Barclays admitted Wednesday that its submissions to the Libor process were improperly affected by requests from traders to move the rate to the benefit of their derivative positions, as well as by a desire to make the bank look stronger during the financial crisis.

The BBA is currently reviewing the way Libor, which is the basis for $350tn in contracts world wide, is set amid probes that have swept in nearly 20 banks and a dozen regulators on three continents. (via BBA urges government to oversee Libor – FT.com).

What Peter says about Paul, says more about Peter than about Paul.

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Categories: BRICS, Britain, Global Finance, India, Politics Tags: , , , ,

Peaceful America in a Disturbed World: How Obama Will Win his Second Term

June 25, 2012 1 comment

How is it that things are so eerily favorable for an Obama reelection.
So unfair to the US | Cartoon by Bendib, source bendib.com | Click for source image.

So unfair to the US | Cartoon by Bendib, source bendib.com | Click for source image.

Euro-Forest fires

Euro-zone on the verge of a break-up, says main-stream English media. British and American leaders repeat ad nauseam the global catastrophe if the Euro-currency breaks up.

Islamic World afire

Middle East is in flames. After a one-year struggle, Egypt has finally chosen a President. See how ‘we’ handled Gaddafi and Osama Bin Laden. As for Pakistan … In case, Syria or Iran take one wrong step …

Just one wrong step.

Even Julian Assange is running now.

Hot BRICS

BRICS are a major problem. China’s leadership change is struggling with Bo Xilai scandal. China’s economy is in trouble – and tanking. Putin’s election has been facing protests for 6 months now. By the way,  which wife of Jacob Zuma is coming for the G20 summit.

These pretentious poseurs – the BRICs.

See where they are.

The largest emerging markets, whose economies grew more than four-fold in the past decade, are making losers out of everyone.

For the first time in 13 years, the real, ruble and rupee are weakening the most among developing-nation currencies, while the yuan has depreciated more than in any other period since its 1994 devaluation.

Investors are fleeing the four biggest emerging markets, known as the BRICs, after Brazil’s consumer default rate rose to the highest level since 2009, prices for Russian oil exports fell to an 18-month low, India’s budget deficit widened and Chinese home prices slumped. Investors are bracing for more losses as economic growth slows.

Currencies from Brazil, Russia and India will probably decline at least 15 percent by year-end, said Jen, the former head of global currency research at Morgan Stanley.

Brazil’s real lost 12 percent so far this quarter, the biggest drop among the 31 most-actively traded currencies tracked by Bloomberg. The 11.5 percent depreciation in the ruble and 10 percent drop in the rupee was almost twice the retreat in the euro. China’s yuan, which was kept unchanged during the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, fell 1.2 percent since March after the government widened the amount the currency is allowed to fluctuate each day.

A decade after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS)’s Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC, China has become the second-largest economy while Brazil, India and Russia are among the 11 biggest worldwide. Their combined gross domestic product rose to $13.3 trillion last year from $2.8 trillion in 2002 as their share of the global economy increased to 19 percent from 8 percent, according to IMF data. Together, they control $4.4 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves, about 40 percent of the total.

The MSCI BRIC Index (MXBRIC) of shares has surged 281 percent during the past decade, compared with 34 percent for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (SPX) as the real and the yuan strengthened more than 30 percent. Local-currency debt in the BRIC nations returned an average 86 percent in dollar terms since data for JPMorgan Chase & Co. indexes on all four countries began in October 2005, versus a 48 percent increase in U.S. Treasuries. (via BRICs Biggest Currency Depreciation Since 1998 to Worsen – Bloomberg).

Asian Tigers are de-fanged and without claws for now. Japan is stagnating for the last 20 years now. With Hugo Chavez dying of cancer and Castro speaking in less than 160-character haikus, there are no noises from Latin America.

That leaves us only with Yumm-Rika!

US soldiers trying to prop up the house of cards | Cartoon by Clay Bennett; taking off on the iconic Joe Rosenthal’s Iwo Jima Pulitzer Prize photograph taken on February 23, 1945, of US Marines raising the US flag | Click for image.

US soldiers trying to prop up the house of cards | Cartoon by Clay Bennett; taking off on the iconic Joe Rosenthal’s Iwo Jima Pulitzer Prize photograph taken on February 23, 1945, of US Marines raising the US flag | Click for image.

Pax Americana

But the US economy seems to on the mend.

Unemployment figures have reduced. Oil prices are declining. Dollar has gained against nearly all currencies. Gold prices (in USD) are down – and dollar is stronger.

You want a Black President. Y’all will get one for two terms. Hell! You want a purple-colored President, we got one for ya …

You got what yer wanted.

Now can we jes git back to work …

One question … any answer

For the rest of us, with so much pain and mayhem in the world, the only only question left was

“One has no clue where it is going to end,” Ashok said in a June 22 phone interview from Mumbai. “The uncertainty and the volatility is the biggest concern.”

Try this answer.

Till US elections are over.

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Categories: BRICS, Europe, Global Finance, Media, Politics, USA, World Economy Tags: , ,

How the coming elections can change Pakistan. Or will it change anything?

June 25, 2012 6 comments

Elections in Yumm-Rika and Pakistan are holding up some vital decisions across the world.
This head-butting may continue till elections in US and Pakistan are over - and the new dispensations are in place to make the necessary decisions | Cartoonist Sabir Nazar in November 2011; source & courtesy - sabirnazar.blogspot.com | Click for larger image.

This head-butting may continue till elections in US and Pakistan are over – and the new dispensations are in place to make the necessary decisions | Cartoonist Sabir Nazar in November 2011; source & courtesy – sabirnazar.blogspot.com | Click for larger image.

Hard & Soft

Mostly due to Obama’s election compulsions, the US is playing hard-to-get for Pakistan. In an election year, Yumm-Rika cannot be soft on Pakistan, an Islāmic country.

Pakistan too is using this opportunity to score brownie points at home.Pakistani leaders are putting up a show of getting close to India, renewing all-weather pledges with China – trying to convince the financiers and the electorate.

Pakistani politicians are not missing any trick in the book.

Come to Daddy

Come a new President in US, all bets are off. Pakistan will be back to its usual self – as will the US.

Proposing some bold scenarios, this post below, published in Pakistan and in Russia also, tells us that

The situation Karachi - and by extension in Pakistan also | Cartoonist Sabir Nazar in August 2011; source & courtesy - pakistantoday.com.pk | Click for larger image.

The situation Karachi – and by extension in Pakistan also | Cartoonist Sabir Nazar in August 2011; source & courtesy – pakistantoday.com.pk | Click for larger image.

Pakistan is looking to the East for help. We (Pakistan) are pinning our hopes on regional cooperation through blocs such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). This bloc boasts support from two major regional powers – Russia and China.We have numerous reasons to support this alliance. For instance, despite all cooperation and the consequent suffering, Pakistan continues to face immense pressure from America.

Russia and the Central Asian countries have supported Pakistan’s desire to become a full member of the organisation, while China has refrained from doing so. Sergei Lavrov, the acting Russian Foreign Minister, in a recent SCO meeting pushed for India and Pakistan’s membership in the SCO, coupled with more involvement in the Afghan security situation in a post Nato withdrawal scenario.

Pakistan must convince Beijing that Islamabad’s full participation in the organisation will be useful in addressing major regional issues. Pakistan must seize the moment, and exploit regional energy resources by partnering with Russia, China and India for energy and commercial trade.

Let’s free ourselves (Pakistan) from the hold of the West by embracing our friends in the East. (via China and Russia can free Pakistan of the US – English pravda.ru).

Pakistan is trying out all diplomatic moves while the US is in election mode | Cartoonist Sabir Nazar; March 2, 2012; source & courtesy - sabirnazar.blogspot.com | Click for larger image.

Pakistan is trying out all diplomatic moves while the US is in election mode | Cartoonist Sabir Nazar; March 2, 2012; source & courtesy – sabirnazar.blogspot.com | Click for larger image.

Two thoughts

One – China, Pakistan’s all-weather friend is also playing hard to get. While Russia is supporting Pakistan’s membership in SCO, it is China which is delaying Pakistan’s entry.

Two – As soon as the new US President, which may turn out to be Obama himself, is sworn in, Pakistan and US may rush into each others arms. US and Pakistan suits each others goals so well, that it may be difficult for both to find a replacement for either.

But Russia and China are a different kettle of fish. They are unlikely to wink at Pakistan’s terror factories. Nor do China and Russia have any use of Pakistan as a hired gun – in Imran Khan’s memorable words.

This leaves Pakistan with little wiggle room. Will a mercenary Pakistani leadership accept this situation?

Yes.

If the Pakistani leader is Imran Khan.

And that is why China may be delaying SCO membership, till Pakistani elections are over.

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Categories: China, Corruption, India-Pakistan Relations, Pax Americana, Politics Tags: , ,

Crisis in Shanghai: With Birth Rate Lower Than Japan, is China Lost

June 24, 2012 6 comments

Misguided and unsuccessful, the efforts of Indian State at population control, at Western behest will go down in history as a black chapter – and remains a huge failure.
China (and many Chinese) respectfully accepts Western advice on such matters | Cartoon in January 2005 from China Daily; an over-sized plane | Click for image.

China (and many Chinese) respectfully accepts Western advice on such matters | Cartoon in January 2005 from China Daily; an over-sized plane | Click for image.

The only reason India is not sitting on a demographic time bomb, is because of our देसी मन्द बुद्धि desi-mand buddhi (rustic minds). Especially from the Indo-Gangetic plains.

This देसी rustic mindset that our ruling elites look at with contempt, did not get fooled by the massive propaganda drive by the West – using the Indian State as its agent.

Look at China.

Shanghai city seeks to revive a birth rate that has collapsed to almost half the level of rapidly aging Japan. China’s richest city, leading financial center, and largest port will see marriage registrations fall 17 percent this year, according to official estimates. “Shanghai is at the frontier of these broad social changes, and this is what is happening across urban China,” says Wang Feng, Beijing-based director for the Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy. “We will see it spread.”

The West never mentions over-consumption as a cause - but over-population is a 'crisis' | Cartoonist Clay Bennet represents the current over-population argument | Click for image.

The West never mentions over-consumption as a cause – but over-population is a ‘crisis’ | Cartoonist Clay Bennet represents the current over-population argument | Click for image.

China faces an urban shift that will shrink the pool of factory workers, who sustain economic growth, and expand the ranks of the elderly, who push up health-care and pension costs. Higher education levels, a focus on careers, and greater expectations are causing city-dwellers to marry later and have fewer children. Shanghai’s fertility rate—the number of children the average woman in the city will bear over her lifetime—was 0.79 in the year ended October 2010, about half the national level, government statistics show.

Better education opportunities have given more women the ability to choose their own partner, says Juemin Zhou, director of the Shanghai Matchmaking Trade Association, the main organizer of the event. “In the past, women were match-made by their parents,” says Zhou. “Then, it didn’t matter how old you were, or if your partner was blind in one eye, you still had to get married. Now, if you don’t find someone suitable, you just don’t settle.”

The number of single Shanghai women in their late 20s tripled in the last 15 years, to almost one in three, according to the Brookings-Tsinghua Center. Nearly 40 percent of college-educated women between 25 and 34 in the city were unmarried in 2005, the center says. That compares with 6 percent for women with only a junior-school education. (via In China’s Dating Scene, Women Get Pickier – Businessweek.

Have we got used to spoon-feeding by a hyperactive media? | Cartoon by Don Addis | Click for image.

Have we got used to spoon-feeding by a hyperactive media? | Cartoon by Don Addis | Click for image.

The modern Desert Bloc State attempts at social directions has created monster side-effects.

Like female feticide in India and China. Giving rise to gender imbalances.

Or an obesity pandemic across the West and some the countries – linked closely to increased usage of sugar substitutes and sucrose alternatives, like HF corn syrup.

Encouraged by the State.

But, does the State plead guilty?

Ever.

And who does the State blame.

You and me. Of course.

माया Maya.

घोर माया Ghor maya.

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Categories: China, Indian Economy, Pax Americana, Politics, Social Trends Tags: , ,

Why Obama is Better Than All Previous US Presidents

June 23, 2012 Leave a comment

Why has Pax Americana become insecure? It’s ability to keep the illusion of free speech, intact. That illusion is now at serious risk.

On January 23rd, the Obama administration charged former CIA officer John Kiriakou under the Espionage Act for disclosing classified information to journalists about the waterboarding of al-Qaida suspects. His is just the latest prosecution in an unprecedented assault on government whistleblowers and leakers of every sort.

Kiriakou’s plight will clearly be but one more battle in a broader war to ensure that government actions and sunshine policies don’t go together. By now, there can be little doubt that government retaliation against whistleblowers is not an isolated event, nor even an agency-by-agency practice. The number of cases in play suggests an organized strategy to deprive Americans of knowledge of the more disreputable things that their government does. How it plays out in court and elsewhere will significantly affect our democracy.

Punish the Whistleblowers

The Obama administration has already charged more people — six — under the Espionage Act for alleged mishandling of classified information than all past presidencies combined. Prior to Obama, there were only three such cases in American history. (via Obama’s unprecedented war on whistleblowers – Salon.com).

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an organized strategy to deprive Americans of knowledge of the more disreputable things that their government does.

Categories: Corruption, Media, Pax Americana, Politics, World Economy Tags: , , , ,

Anguish In The Free World – Julian Assange Prefers Ecuador

June 23, 2012 Leave a comment

There is deep anguish in the West over that Julian Assange believes that Ecuador may offer him the freedom that the Free World is not willing to do. Listen to the Assange interview on abc radio.

Click on the green coloured link below.

Julian Assange is about to spend his third night in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London as he awaits a decision on his bid for asylum.In his first interview since arriving at the embassy, he tells us why he chose to seek asylum in Ecuador.

via Julian Assange exclusive – Breakfast – ABC Radio National Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

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Assange News Blackout: Wonder How This Works

June 21, 2012 2 comments

Julian Assange may finally hammer home the point that Desert Bloc systems are usually either a Military State or a Police State. US happens to be both.
This document dump has made the US react in a manner that makes it look very fragile. | Cartoonist Adam Zyglis of Buffalo News, courtesy - Politicalcartoons.com; source: msn.com | Click for image.

This document dump has made the US react in a manner that makes it look very fragile. | Cartoonist Adam Zyglis of Buffalo News, courtesy – Politicalcartoons.com; source: msn.com | Click for image.

Hide the beast

All of today’s newspapers in Mumbai, buried the news about Julian Assange’s defection to Ecuador to inside pages, in hidden corners, where it would attract least attention.

Based on the file dump that Bradley Manning, allegedly passed onto Wikileaks, what we have now are excruciating details. Instead of the broad outline earlier, we now have the actual skeleton and structure of Pax Americana.

Thanks to Julian Assange. Not to forget Bradley Manning.

Expose the beast

Globally, military bases are at

the heart of a global American empire that employs some 1,000 bases outside the United States. Their purpose: To ensure that no matter who governs in Asia, Africa or around the world, the US military would be in a position to “run the planet” from its chain of strategic island bases. (via Chagos: The heart of an American empire? – Opinion – Al Jazeera English).

More assassinations, covert operations, killings and bombings than by any other regime, military, terrorist – or even a criminal group. In more than 50 countries in any month. Even if we ignore the 120 that is being waved around.

U.S. Special Operations Command spokesman Colonel Tim Nye, Nick Turse (an) investigative reporter found out that, on any given day, American commandos are carrying out secret missions in 70 countries — by the end of the year, that number is likely to reach 120.

Evidence of a rising clandestine Pentagon power elite, waging a secret war in about 60% of the world’s nations: Without the knowledge of the American public, a secret unit within the U.S. military — U.S. Special Operations Command SOCOM — has grown into a combined force of startling proportions.

SOCOM carries out the United States’ most specialized and shadowy missions. These include assassinations, counterterrorist raids, long-range reconnaissance, intelligence analysis, foreign troop training, and weapons of mass destruction counter-proliferation operations. (via How Do We Stop the Relentless Expansion of the American Empire? | AlterNet).

2 million people in US prisons. Human beings. All of them. US has more human beings than animals in captivity. More than in any dictatorship. More surveillance cameras and telephone tapping in the US, Britain and Europe than in any dictatorship in the world.

With one law-breaker or law enforcer, for every 17 adult males, the US is a world leader. For the 70 million American males in the 18-60 years of age who are the predominant target; 17 apex American secret service agencies that track these 70 million people. The biggest secret service in the world, the largest prisoner population, in addition to one of the largest police forces in the world, make US clearly a leader of the ‘Free’ World.

Never in Soviet history were there more than 4 secret service agencies in the USSR. Today the US has 17 agencies form what the US calls Intelligence Community. A large rainbow of agencies – CIA FBI, NSA, DEA, DOE, Bureau of ATF, DIA, NRO, NIMA, CTC. NPC. INR. DOE Intel., Army Intelligence et al litter the global scene. Some US Govt. cables, from Wikileaks, quoted US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates on Russia as an “oligarchy run by the security services”.

Going by above data, it would be easier, to describe the USA, using those words.

All this data and words was probably never going to be enough.

But Julian Assange’s defection from the West to Ecuador, will be remembered.

Why

After Julian Assange walked into Ecuador’s embassy, as the doors shut behind him,  the sound reverberated across the world.

Some never heard the sound. Some never understood it. But to those to whom it mattered, their teeth are grinding with rage. Sparks flying out of their hooded eyes.

One very ominous sound, it was.

Defection from the Free World to the a Ecuador is pretty damning!

For the Free World.

Rather interesting was my own Yahoo email box. A Syrian fighter-pilot defects with an outdated MiG plane to Jordan was on the front pages – but Assange news was not there. Not even on trending topics.

I wonder how this kind of news management works.

Snap shot of my Yahoo! Mail page | Date: 2012-06-21 | Time: 21-11-40 hr IST | Click for larger image.

Snap shot of my Yahoo! Mail page | Date: 2012-06-21 | Time: 21-11-40 hr IST | Click for larger image.

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Categories: Europe, History, Media, Pax Americana, Politics Tags: , , ,

The True & Unreal Story of Julian Assange

June 21, 2012 1 comment

Captain Ahab will go down with his ship trying to take-on Whale #Assange.
The 'real' case of Julian Assange| Creative credits embedded; Image source & courtesy - rightardia.blogspot.in | Click for image.

The ‘real’ case of Julian Assange| Creative credits embedded; Image source & courtesy – rightardia.blogspot.in | Click for image.

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Have Indians learned the lesson asks Financial Times

June 20, 2012 1 comment

Have Indians learned the lesson? asks ft.com. That  was clearly the objective, like these columns have said in the last 2 years.

But despite the expressions of shock and surprise, there has been little public criticism. This suggests an insufficient reckoning with the difficult questions his crimes raise about business in India.

Mr Gupta was by all accounts an admirable figure, as acknowledged by several jurors who convicted him last week for passing confidential information – gleaned from his Goldman Sachs directorship – to Raj Rajarathanum, head of the Galleon hedge fund. “We wanted him to walk, go home to his family and live a very prosperous life,” one said.

During the trial more than 300 business and other professional figures signed an open letter in praise of his character; a list including some of the most recognisable names in Indian business, such as Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries. Even after the verdict, the sense remains that Mr Gupta’s was a temporary lapse of judgment. Those who know him mutter that the punishment, which could include many years in jail, is excessive. (India elite yet to absorb Gupta lesson).

People mutter when they don’t want to be heard, Shri Crabtree. Mutter, the dictionary says, means ‘to speak indistinctly in low tones; To complain or grumble morosely’.

If 300 people have openly disagreed with US Justice Departments prosecution based on purely circumstantial evidence, on piffling amounts, going by US standards set during earlier prosecutions, it is no longer muttering.

If you mean mutter as in complain or grumble, why not use those words.

If the US jury, found it fit to qualify their conviction with words of comfort, (which you have reproduced) the feeling of a misplaced prosecutorial zeal is not grumbling or complaining.

It is outrage.

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Can Imran Khan Win the Coming Election in Pakistan?

June 19, 2012 1 comment

Four years ago, it may have seemed even silly to talk of Imran Khan as a political force in Pakistan? Any different now?
Between Imran and the Mullah, who will win?| Cartoon by Zahoor on December 12, 2008; dailytimes.com.pk | Click for image.

Between Imran and the Mullah, who will win?| Cartoon by Zahoor on December 12, 2008; dailytimes.com.pk | Click for image.

Silly notions

Four years ago, when Imran Khan was was a non-starter in Pakistani politics, it seemed foolish to talk about him seriously.

Especially when it came to India-Pakistan relations.

Like this small video excerpt (below, with transcript) from Julian Assange-Imran Khan interview shows, Imran is not wet behind his ears.

And Indian Foreign Policy management now has at least one more admirer.

Imran Khan has got me thinking …

But still …

What can a retired cricketer do? What role could he have? Does he have the intellectual depth? Would the five Pakistan’s accept him?

Death threats

Why is it that there no death threats to Imran Khan?A google search revealed none. Though the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital he established, was blown up.

Is he too small a target? Completely irrelevant, is he? Is it that he is big only outside Pakistan – but is a nothing in Pakistan? Is he a English-language media creation? Maybe the death threats have not trickled down to India? Or google? Was his Karachi rally, which attracted crowds in tens-of-thousands, more of money-and-organization than people power?

But, I am curious … this is nagging me.

Even Jemima Khan, his ex-wife, now in London got threats.

Factions in Pakistan

What do the five Pakistan’s think of him?

Many think that Imran Khan has no ideas. For instance,

his strategy for dealing with the Taliban and other Islamic militants has led to charges that he is soft on extremists. His plan is to order the Army to withdraw from the unruly tribal areas and start a dialogue with the militants. To him the war in Afghanistan and on the Pakistan border conforms to “Einstein’s definition of madness: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result … The Pakistan Army is killing its own people. It’s the most shameful period in our history. We created militants through collateral damage, and we are creating more militants through collateral damage. It’s a ruling elite which sold its soul for dollars.” (via Imran Khan May Become Pakistan’s Next Prime Minister – The Daily Beast).

Among the competing groups in Pakistan are, first the army and the ISI combination. Then there are the popular politicians who participate in elections. Add the third element – mullah-madrasa-mujahhid combine of fundamentalist clergy, various terrorist groups – like JeM, LeT, Al Qaida, various Taliban factions et al.

The economy and wealth is in hands of the fourth element – the 22 families that matter in Pakistan. Mahbub-ul-Haq’s “22 families” speech in Karachi in 1968 highlightedthe power and wealth of a few families in Pakistan.

And bringing up the rear, is the fifth part of Pakistan, who don’t matter.

The Rest of Pakistan.

How do they perceive Imran Khan.

Newsweek’s online edition, The Daily Beast thinks he is going to be the next PM of Pakistan? I have no idea how good the statistical model for opinion polls in Pakistan is? For whatever it is worth, he is sitting on a 68% approval rating. That should make him a shoo-in come March.

Whaddya think?

More importantly, what do Pakistanis think?

Julian Assange: How would you reconfigure the Pakistan relationship with the United States? Would it be a complete severance? What would you do? Permit them (unclear) strikes? What kind of intelligence cooperation? What would you do in practice?

Imran Khan: Eh … Have a relationship based on dignity self respect. So, it should be (thinking) … a relationship like (slight pause) … US has with India. It should not be a relationship about client-master relationship. And even worse here, (pain) Pakistan as a hired gun. Being paid to kill America’s enemies. It’s not … It is a relationship that has failed. It’s niether delivered to the people of Pakistan nor has it delivered to the Americans.

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Categories: India, India-Pakistan Relations, Media, Oil, Pax Americana, Politics Tags: , ,
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