As everyone knows, I am a proud Pakistani while being a proud American. (Well, both countries do stupid things, but, such is life). But, everyone knows how I speak up for Pakistan in various places... so, it may surprise some to read this posting of mine at a forum on A Small World, an invitation only exclusive networking site.... People were discussing what "leader" Pakistanis would elect/select/allow to be their dictator (Musharaff, Sharif, Benazir Butto)... I responded. Your comments are welcome.
----
Pakistan is it's own worst enemy. Even the name of my birthplace, the ISLAMIC REPUBLIC of PAKISTAN (land of the Pure) sadly consists of three words, all three lies. Nothing pure about it. Nothing Islamic about it except the illiterate mullahs the Americans first financed to fight the Soviets, then ignored and now try to exterminate. And, surely it's not a republic.
Like Spiderman, Pakistan's gift (its strategic location) is also its curse - ensuring that despite all of our American hypocritical speeches about bringing democracy to Iraq, we do our best to keep dictators in power in all places that suit us... Pakistan, previously Iran, Saudia Arabia, Egypt... the list goes on.
But, India, Israeli Zionists (so oft blamed for anything from a stolen manhole cover to a bomb blast in Pakistan), and all of nature's plagues, like earthquakes, combined cannot do what illiteracy, corruption, dictatorships (imposed or elected), religion shoved into everything and just plain stupidity on the part of all the people there so proudly achieve on their own.
Imagine, all this above, coming from someone who loves Pakistan and speaks out for it on CNN, Fox News, Radio, Online, etc. So sad.
Imran
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Bush Claims Success In Iraq - Pravda Would Be Proud
All I could think after hearing Bush give his speech claiming recent successes in Iraq meant we could start seeing a troop reduction was --- did the US Government hire old Pravda (Soviet Communist propaganda machine) writers. That in itself would be worrisome, but to see that Bush and his cronies actually believe what they say (until they say the opposite and fully believe THAT) is even more dangerous.
- If Iraq is so successful why are we still at greater risk in the USA?
- If the success is so great, why are only a couple of thousand troops coming home?
- If Iraq has such stability, why does the American President have to arrive secretly and unannounced EVERY time he visits?
- If, as Bush said, the enemy is still dangerous and active, then WHY even pull out any troops?
I could literally type a list of 100 questions that were popping into my head as Bush continued with his eye-popping fantasy/fallacy based speech. What thoughts come to your mind?
- If Iraq is so successful why are we still at greater risk in the USA?
- If the success is so great, why are only a couple of thousand troops coming home?
- If Iraq has such stability, why does the American President have to arrive secretly and unannounced EVERY time he visits?
- If, as Bush said, the enemy is still dangerous and active, then WHY even pull out any troops?
I could literally type a list of 100 questions that were popping into my head as Bush continued with his eye-popping fantasy/fallacy based speech. What thoughts come to your mind?
State of Affairs & Affairs of the State IN Pakistan IT
As the founder and pioneer of Internet email in Pakistan, and original founding co-owner of the privately created .PK top level domain, I was delighted to see Patrick Thibodeau's attempt at a fair and balanced article on the state of IT in Pakistan in ComputerWorld magazine.
I found it heartening to see Pakistan's sea of talent finally getting some recognition. Even as a Pakistani-born American, I do have to give kudos to how much better India has done with IT and professional development. I am sorry to say, but Pakistan is its own worst enemy. From corrupt politicians, to regular bouts of military dictatorships, from illiterate stone-age fundamentalists and mullahs targeting any attempt at modernization to the grossly unjust treatment of all of Pakistan in the US media, Pakistan has far too many challenges to overcome, but they are not insurmountable.
Having received my Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the prestigious University of Engineering and Technology, in Lahore, it amazes me to this day of how many truly incredibly brilliant engineers I was privileged to know as classmates and fellow students in the period of 1980-84. Many of them are among the smartest people I ever met, even when compared to my fellow alumni at globally respected Ivy League universities like Columbia Business School, etc. I am certain Pakistan still produces that high caliber in some of its universities. Yet, it is nowhere on the IT map like India and even others are.
What concerns me are bigger problems that Pakistan faces. One is the absolutely dismal state of education in Pakistan in the rest of the country.
Even more worrisome is the ease with which students are being churned out as "IT graduates" (a problem I see happening in India also) that can barely speak English, lack even basic concepts of today's networking and computer technologies, with even fewer avenues to learn. I know about it because I interviewed several candidates in Lahore and Islamabad just a few weeks ago.
Another problem is the fact that like almost every thing else in Pakistan, the government tries to insert itself into everything. So, while I appreciated the letter of Yusuf Hussain, Managing Director of the Pakistan Software Export Board, Islamabad, Pakistan, responding to the ComputerWorld article, I do not see government entities as saviors but cancers that plague almost every field where Pakistanis can bootstrap and make a mark in the world of technology or business.
It is ironic and tragic that while the Pakistani government goes begging for things like F-16 aircraft and other top technologies created by the American private sector, it itself makes no great effort to liberate the millions of talented, hard working, innovative, inventive and, yes, often brilliant, Pakistanis from channeling their energies into starting whatever business they want, almost whatever industry they choose in the private sector.
True, the current dictator, Musharaff has been better for business (and even press freedom) than so-called elected leaders like Benaznir Bhutto or Nawaz Sharif. But, corrupt politicians, including dictators and elected ones, always ensure policies are put in place that ensure their friends and families can corner the market in any emerging industrial opportunity, while regulating the rest into the stone age.
Most societies can barely struggle with one cancer or two in their social fabric... Pakistan has corrupt leaders, bureaucrats, military dictators, evil fundamentalists, poverty, illiteracy and lack of resources to overcome. Only Pakistanis have the ability to overcome all of these and one hopes they will find it in their own hearts and souls to do so instead of "Waiting for Allah" - or government policies or some grand savior that never comes.
The ComputerWorld article was a good first step in US-based Pakistanis and entrepreneurs helping the talent in Pakistan overcome these obstacles.
What are your ideas?
I found it heartening to see Pakistan's sea of talent finally getting some recognition. Even as a Pakistani-born American, I do have to give kudos to how much better India has done with IT and professional development. I am sorry to say, but Pakistan is its own worst enemy. From corrupt politicians, to regular bouts of military dictatorships, from illiterate stone-age fundamentalists and mullahs targeting any attempt at modernization to the grossly unjust treatment of all of Pakistan in the US media, Pakistan has far too many challenges to overcome, but they are not insurmountable.
Having received my Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the prestigious University of Engineering and Technology, in Lahore, it amazes me to this day of how many truly incredibly brilliant engineers I was privileged to know as classmates and fellow students in the period of 1980-84. Many of them are among the smartest people I ever met, even when compared to my fellow alumni at globally respected Ivy League universities like Columbia Business School, etc. I am certain Pakistan still produces that high caliber in some of its universities. Yet, it is nowhere on the IT map like India and even others are.
What concerns me are bigger problems that Pakistan faces. One is the absolutely dismal state of education in Pakistan in the rest of the country.
Even more worrisome is the ease with which students are being churned out as "IT graduates" (a problem I see happening in India also) that can barely speak English, lack even basic concepts of today's networking and computer technologies, with even fewer avenues to learn. I know about it because I interviewed several candidates in Lahore and Islamabad just a few weeks ago.
Another problem is the fact that like almost every thing else in Pakistan, the government tries to insert itself into everything. So, while I appreciated the letter of Yusuf Hussain, Managing Director of the Pakistan Software Export Board, Islamabad, Pakistan, responding to the ComputerWorld article, I do not see government entities as saviors but cancers that plague almost every field where Pakistanis can bootstrap and make a mark in the world of technology or business.
It is ironic and tragic that while the Pakistani government goes begging for things like F-16 aircraft and other top technologies created by the American private sector, it itself makes no great effort to liberate the millions of talented, hard working, innovative, inventive and, yes, often brilliant, Pakistanis from channeling their energies into starting whatever business they want, almost whatever industry they choose in the private sector.
True, the current dictator, Musharaff has been better for business (and even press freedom) than so-called elected leaders like Benaznir Bhutto or Nawaz Sharif. But, corrupt politicians, including dictators and elected ones, always ensure policies are put in place that ensure their friends and families can corner the market in any emerging industrial opportunity, while regulating the rest into the stone age.
Most societies can barely struggle with one cancer or two in their social fabric... Pakistan has corrupt leaders, bureaucrats, military dictators, evil fundamentalists, poverty, illiteracy and lack of resources to overcome. Only Pakistanis have the ability to overcome all of these and one hopes they will find it in their own hearts and souls to do so instead of "Waiting for Allah" - or government policies or some grand savior that never comes.
The ComputerWorld article was a good first step in US-based Pakistanis and entrepreneurs helping the talent in Pakistan overcome these obstacles.
What are your ideas?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)