SEARCH THE BROKEN BEGGING BOWL

                                                                                                                                          9 March 2010

                                                          By: Asad Rehman

I am no economic guru or a pundit, I only know that 2 plus 2 equals to 4 and if earnings is 50 then expenditure  cannot be 100 if it is even 55 then there is something wrong either with the planning or with those who are squandering it.  There has to be a logical balance between the two. Everyday we read or learn from the news channels Pakistan’s GDP is 2%. Whereas in 2006 -2007 our GDP was 5.78% was it true or another fudging of figures, to which we are famous for? Income support programs will eliminate the poverty; so many funds have been allocated to provide clean drinking water to masses blah blah! Yet every day cost of living is running a 1000 meter race to eliminate the poor, poverty is on increase and soon only the rich will reign and enjoy it all. A decade or so back a millionaire was respected then came the billionaire era and today it is trillionaires are worthy of respect.

Pakistan’s financial wizards and economic pundits have been singing this music for a long time; some have even gone to an extent of predicting this downfall with PPPP. They seem to be proven accurate in their forecast?

We now need a much bigger begging bowl as the old one was broken and the one we have now in our hands seems to be magical no matter what you put in just vanishes.

A country has to be self sufficient in either agricultural field, its industry wheels moving at full speed or their commerce are strong enough to with stand all odds. As all these factors are the true indicators of the country’s economic growth or well being. Today it seems that what was said in the Indian parliament in 70’s has or about to be achieved they said cripple Pakistan at all level’s. Agriculture, Industry, trade & commerce they have gone a step further by eliminating Pakistan from the sports arena. Yet our leaders still peg their hopes on improved relations with India will resolve all our troubles. Why just India why not Israel as well.

The increase in power tariff as per the World Bank conditionality for another tranche of loan is on the behest of these two countries. Can anyone imagine our dilemma on one side we do not have the power to run our industry nor can we operate our water turbines to water our crop fields yet the tariff is been increased every day to foot the bills of our extravagant rulers. Our other misery is that our loving neighbor is stealing our share of water and whenever we shout hi neighbor release my water or I will go to the court to get justice. Our neighbor sends us a sugar coated melody come let us discuss. We dress up in our best attire walk up to his door the moment we step- in, he presents us with his own agenda.  What a loving neighbor we have on our eastern front?

Today the best mode of war is not weapons but fight your enemy with economic destruction. This is the most cost effective way to win a war.

On the western front we have been embroiled in an unending war a bulk of our budget just goes up in smoke, yet we are asked to do more. NO MORE. UNCLE SAMMY. You created this frankstein monster to achieve your ulterior motives, once they were achieved you brushed off your hands and walked away leaving this evil unchained and just look at it what havoc this has caused. Trillions of dollars are going up in smoke if you wanted to experiment with your new toys of destruction was it necessary to have so many innocent souls killed?  Be it Christians, Jews or Muslims the blood running on the ground is red in colour

Wake up Pakistanis wake up from your slumber save your country before it is too late. Today the rulers are pocketing all they can their hands upon none is challenging what is aired daily on the TV channels, what this indicates is?

I just read an article by James Gibson a known writer what he has stated is reproduced for the readers knowledge:

Entropy — Why the World as We Know It Is Dying

The concept of entropy is one of the most useful terms for understanding just about everything. While it has its origins in natural law — thermodynamics, specifically — the concept holds true pretty much across all closed systems.

In the simplest of terms, every closed system will ultimately degrade toward a state of maximum entropy.

I’ll use the current political system of the U.S. as a convenient example. When American democracy was first shoved out of the nest by the founding fathers, it was new, fresh, and energetic. It took the world’s breath away at its boldness and unlimited promise, and set the wheels turning on tangible change across much of the world.

Before the ink dried on the Constitution, however, the degradation began. From the beginning, the country’s political operations fell into the hands of a strictly limited number of parties, which quickly coalesced into just two. Since then, they have essentially shared power, with only minor differences in policies between the two. Simply, absent a disruptive external force, the closed political system quickly matured into an institutionalized “sameness” that all but assures no serious challenges — leading, ultimately, to the certainty it will degrade to only a shell of its former self.  


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It was, perhaps, because of his own understanding of natural law that Thomas Jefferson was heard to remark, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
That doesn’t mean I am advocating revolution — just pointing out the fact that any closed system, no matter how well constructed, will degrade. To expect the United States of America to avoid this fate is to expect the impossible.

WHO WILL SAVE US?

Gentlemen please do not misconstrue my following version as un-democratic.

Democratic leaders today are in concert on the idiot box (TV). These guys are only hashing the facts; the unfortunate public is in their audible range and believing them. Whereas,

 DEMOCRACY IS BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE.

             PRESENTLY DEMONCRACY RULES.WHO WILL SAVE US FROM TOTAL NEMESIS?

Nowadays, everyone is harping on one chord Dictator’s Rule has destroyed Pakistan? Whenever I am in a group of people I ask them one straight question. If dictators’ had destroyed the country then the democratic looters could not have been able to build up their coffers with Dollars and Gold every time they come in power, the dictators at least provide livelihood to the masses and our so called democratic forces provide only for themselves and throw bits and left over pieces to their kin. I also challenge them what has any democratic leader given to Pakistan worthwhile? The first dictator  gave us Mangla,Tarbela even Warsak Dams KANUP was also a brain child of a dictator the GREEN REVOLUTION the INDUSTRIALIZATION in the country  was not a given to us by Britishers. But by a dictator, whose name we tarnished as a dog. The cat never got out of Bhutto’s bag? Can anyone enlighten me about ZAB’s cat?

 Perhaps, the only two things we got from our democratic ruler’s was a vision to produce a nuclear bomb and today this bomb is slowly exploding in our homes. Had Mr.Sharrif had a microscopic common sense in him, he would have shown the world that Pakistan has developed a nuclear weapon but will detonate it. Almost all the nations would have helped Pakistan to get out from its debt rut.

Yes, two eras were the most destructive ones,

         i.            General Yahya Khan’s.  Well the poor soul could do nothing more. Well separation of East Pakistan is attributed to him: But who beseeched Ayub Khan to release Mujeeb to attend the R.T.C who said YOU THEIR I HERE. Who said we do not need the seventh fleet?

        ii.            The second era of Zia was critical one had he had played his cards well, today Pakistan would have been a real Islamic democratic state. But he was too ambitious of spreading Islam and started put his fingers in wrong places and today we are reaping its fruits. But his followers champion him as a Mard e Momin. Can anyone tell me what were his achievements for Pakistan?

The Americans, Indians and Israeli’s are hell bent to dislodge us from the world map and what are we doing as a nation? Few are plundering the wealth and other rest of them, are snapping at the juicy meat bones. The people like me have no atta no sugar, no gas, no oil, no power, no jobs, No LIVELIHOOD. MEGA HIGH COSTS yet the mandate is their.

What a splendid democratic application.

Let me be honest our last dictator was doing a good job at least we were living if not a very good life but were at ease. I voted for him for the first time as his vision captivated many like myself.

 But I am at loss to understand why he gave up his Army job, then his presidency. Had I been in his place I would not have doffed off my uniform but perhaps, sometimes the counselors who employ assistants who cannot look or think beyond their closed comfy petite package tend to misguide the navigators who in turn relate the fanciful yarn to the captain and he sinks.  This has happened with me I know the cycle of deceit.

Today Pakistan stands as a most corrupt nation in the comity of nations. What a sense of pride we have?

To CONDEMN is easy to solve is THORNY.

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

        I.            A strong, sincere and obviously honest Leadership. Who are capable to deliver of what they speak:

      II.            A crisis Manager. Who must have nerves of steel?

    III.            A new Constitution. The present one has become a Tarot card to lure idiots like me who have no cue of what 73 constitution provides for them. Bring in what they want. AN ISLAMIC CONSTITUTION in all true sense. A decade or so back leaders were yelling that this constitution is designed by infidels what happened today, has our beloved constitution embraced Islam.

    IV.            A clear Economy policy. Ten Year Plan, with a niche of improvement with time (Evaluation of Plan every Quarter). (Develop Industry at the grass root level).

      V.            A strong foreign relation policy. With a vision to recognize Israel. I am not a Jew but our salvation lies in this. I assure you if we develop a right approach many of our issues with our neighbors will be resolved.

    VI.            Free education for all till Intermediate level. With one curriculum across the board.

Many more issues can be brought in these statements which are people real problems and the party can get wings to soar. Elections will not be held in 2012 but in 2010 late: This is the street talk. People are tired, they are hungry and are quickly spinning into jobless void and ultimately this will lead them to be homeless. Now is the time to get the street power working for the party. At present they see no true SAVIOR on the horizon. Let a new star be born let there be light let there be hope for the down trodden.

I know not why I am so hyper and writing down all this crap possibly I cannot swallow the present state of affairs any further I have no future nor see any for my children. I understand that the entire world is in grip of recession but around the corner stands recession’s elder sister inflation the world leaders are working to avoid or to reduce its impact and what are our leaders doing? Scratching their….

 Gentlemen lets join hands and face the facts.

Thank you for your time to read this ode if you do not like any passage I am sorry I cannot change the history yes can correct it for future referral.

COURT JESTERS

Allow me to tell you a story of King’s Jesters:

The kings and Rajas of the past had official entertainers in their courts. These were professional clowns, dancers, poets, jugglers etc, whose only function in the king’s court was to amuse him. That would do any thing and go to any extent to seek the pleasure of the man sitting on the throne. These professionals could not even think of uttering a single word not in tune with the official line. The only truth for them was what the almighty king desired. Sometimes the questions and answers were all prepared beforehand.

Some people think that these institutions have died down. Being the custodians of both Mughal and British traditions we have not let these institutions die, rather we have changed their form. They are now special persons granted special incentives, to do the maligning job. Well these poor souls are unable to do any other meaningful task and their livelihood depends upon how well they can scandalize others without been suspected, how to distort facts into tell tale lies and present to their masters and earn their appeasement.

They try to excel each other. But while they are undertaking these tasks, they have no knowledge that by their actions they are undermining the very foundations of the castle in which they are living so comfortably and eating the fruits of its orchids. The fact will dawn upon them the day the earth shakes beneath their feet and the castle crumbles to dust. But it will be too late to reverse the clock. They had themselves brought this wrath upon themselves.

The lesson is not for these jesters but is for the masters they themselves allowed these clowns to prosper which lead to the dropping of the curtain.

Remember “You cannot stop the birds of sorrow to fly over your head, but you can stop them to build their nests”.

I hope that my afore mentioned words will be taken seriously and not termed as ranting. If Pakistan wants to prosper it must give up its present working practice and adopt a more rationale and practical environment for the workers so they can deliver both quality and quantity. So think again before you plunge into abyss on a one way ticket.

The fate and the fortune is in your hands it is up to you which F will you apply. I had played my innings with best of my abilities. Honestly and with sheer dedication.