My Ramadan

Re: # 261 by hamidm2

Hamid:

I really do not want to embarass you, but given the fact that quotations from big guys like huntington (aka OBL) to uncle iqbal RULE the sound bites (or should I say word bites) of common folks like us, I got to say this:

``Keep it up``.

And another issue, and this might get your goat (it got mine too when HP mentioned something similar): YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET A SON_IN_LAW LIKE MASADI. Or your daughter might choose one like him. Now you can do the whole la-hol-etc. But give it a thought. He is probably just like you when you (or I) came to the world of the infidel (the capitalist). He`s got a mind and doesn`t give a damn about what others think of him. And he is confident. So think about it ...... but don`t kill me :-)

Zeemax:

Why are these Uncle Toms going ga-ga deevanaas at someone else`s wedding. How does living in a brownstone next to the most expensive penthouse make one great, I fail to understand.
But the dumbo-donkeys keep on the mantra: ``Ah! but my future is bright``.

The Lion & the Mule

The Lion:
``Among the inhabitantsof the jungle, you stand apart
What be your lineage, your bloodline & your folks?``

The Mule:
`` Does your honour not know my uncle, mommy`s bro?
He`s the champion stallion..that sire of Royal Stable``.

.................................................................Allama Iqbal.

P.S: These are masticated squeezed Gandairees, Sugar-cane bites, time to spit them out.

Re: # 251

zeemax,

..... have you heard of dot.com II ????

...... and who says the boom in the auto industry is dead !? ..... if it were i would be unemployed and sitting in the basement with masadi waiting for the cheese truck to pull up ! .........

....... the products are better than ever, margins are better than ever, more veicles are being sold globally than ever before, and the forecasts are going through the roof ! ............. michigan is suffering because the big-3 are paying for their past sins; but there is a whole new auto industry down south in mississippi, kentucky, alabama and tennesee .......... and let`s not even talk about china - with 5.7M vehicles sold last year and a growth rate of 15-20% a year, that is another story by itself ! ............. it is a global industry and south east michigan is not the barometer ...... gm is the #2 automaker in china with 11% of the market - believe it or not, but the lowly buick regal is a premium brand over there ......

........... in the us, while gm is loosing $782 per vehicle, toyota is laughing all the way to the bank with $2,083 profit per vehicle ...... of course gm pays $1,635 per vehicle in health care cost (1,120 of which is for retirees), toyota pays less $215 ..............plants are turning out 400,000 cars a year when ten years ago the average was around 150 ........ new players like hyundai are making even toyota look over its shoulder and the 7+ chinese automakers are chomping at the bit ................ the consumer has a lot more choices and he is getting a more for the buck ............... and why ? ....... because the system works ....... why? .............. because people in the business world have not heard of mills and masadi .............

........ the pie keeps on getting bigger and better ............

hamidm mian....``if you did, you are a bigger fool than arjun makes you out to be ..........``

``jabb pyaar kiyaa tou darna kyaa.....``

......pragmatism may seem like a successful long term way of approaching life........however, there is a lot to said about conviction.......every now and then, one should make a few of life`s decision on conviction and not on pragmatism..........you may want to try it some time........it will make life a lot simpler, and will go a long way in simplifying the complex issues you maybe having difficulty trying to figure out.........

i left the military in even more spontaneous circumstances than i left the usa.........and with far far more conviction and almost no pragmatism........have yet to regret either of those two decisions........

.......a fool who can look everyone in the eye, with a clear conscious, is much better than a genius who cannot.........

zeemax u r incorrigibly cynical even by desi standards..
fwiw, bill gates isnt religious - he probably is an atheist so its not like hes looking 4 credits in afterlife.
U cud either hold ppl to absolute standards or to relative 1s. By the standard of his contemporaries ANYWHERE bill gates is a true philanthropist. He isnt robbing peter 2 pay paul - thats true 1ly if u believe business is a zero sum thing. Secondly he ``robbed`` the rich 2 give 2 the poor - our eternal robin hood (he aint robbin` the hood).

#257 by DrDr

You`ve raised an important question. Why did Warren Buffet do it? Because he realized he`s reaching the end of the rainbow and he can`t take any of it with him. And he made it all in the stock market, not by doing good for anyone but playing a zero-sum game. He also knew if he left it for his kids, they`ll lose it all in less than a decade and back to square one. So maybe he felt he was ultimately accountable.

Same for Bill Gates. He realized the futility of it all ... and felt he should help humanity. That`s BS. First he was the cruelest monopolists of them all who was ruthless with competition, and would simply kill it regardless of how many jobs he trampled, then he turned into caring about malaria in Africa.

But all these people will not achieve their salvation in this manner.

As Islam says ``The essence of deeds is in the intentions, not in the deeds on their own``.

251 zeemax
Now u have outdone urself. I wonder y u think Warren Buffett is giving his money away. Y is Gates giving 2 foundations that r heavily involved in africa. Is that guilt conscience too?

Re: # 244 by masadi

Asadi:

``Regarding Mills, like I said he is merely taking the assertion of Hamid 2 pack to its logical conclusion which does indeed lead to equivalence, ``ideal type`` analysis of every kind can similarly be equated. What he is simply stating is that it is prepostrous to define power in terms of knowledge, or wealth in terms of knowledge. Very simple statement, you want to pick at its molecules to discredit what he says which is quite disingenuous.``

Who is Mills to take Hamid`s analysis to an end, logical or otherwise? I believe that Hamid is quite capable of ending his analysis himself. I feel uncomfortable when ``social theorists`` think on behalf of others and pass off these exercises as ``facts`` instead of ``assumptions``, ``models`` or ``beliefs``. For me this is not ``picking at molecules``. [Let me state upfront that I too make this mistake but I try not to do so]. Also, what makes you think that I am trying to discredit Mills? If I wanted to do so I would have tried to publish an article in a journal run by the followers of Mills (if there is one) and not in Chowk. I have not tried to do so and that is because I believe that Mills had reasonably profound things to say. [Again, let me state upfront that none of the things that I have published are as original or profound]. But that in no way means that I agree with Mills in everything that he says. So, do take it from me that I am not ``disingenuous`` about it. Link up the dots and the same goes for my ``having it both ways``.

#251 by zeemax on October 11, 2006 3:34am PT


peemax: you have no idea what you are talking about? BG giving away his wealth because of his guilt...3G is dead..

where did you read all this: IT for cab drivers?

#253 by echoboom

Hmmm ...thanks. Very hard hitting article, but unforunately for hamidm2, the truth.

Bring out the nails to hammer into the coffin of the Empire-builder`s dream, but keep a silver bullet handy..........

Great advice!

Hamidm2:
It is time to celebrate. Each day brings about a new exlixir of hope for those who want to see the worlds first gangster nation brought down to its knees.

It is quite understandable that the field-niggers growing plump eating the massas leftovers and the all the women & children of the Mafiosis & thugs sing hymns to their providers for having established their ``nation`` where freedom reigns supreme...as long as heaps of the living dead beyond their own fences are kept in good proportion.

You guys sound like the donkey of the fable who kept on talking about ...``but,my future is bright``.

`` The fire in the belly is driving us from one city to the next
Dogs in the eyes of the world;we delusioned emigrants``........Iftikhar Arif.


`` Just a few days more, my love, just a few days more
Are left for , us to endure this dark dark Opression
Just for a few more days this torture, these tears
we inherited from our ancestors; for no fault of ours``...................Faiz

So Q2:

Stop twiddling your thumbs & counting your options. Sitting on the fence too long will soon need Preparation-H2treatment

---

Pak Tribune,
Pakistan
`Time to `Drive the Nails` Into `Dream of Empire`s Coffin`

By Anwaar Hussain*  



October 2, 2006

Pakistan`s Pak Tribune - Original Article (English)


Bring out the nails to be hammered into the coffin. Waning badly from trying to create outposts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the death of America`s dream of Empire is fast approaching. Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails. In the first neoconservative neo-colony of Afghanistan, the Taliban are on the rise like the fabled phoenix rising from the ashes. Once again they openly control most of southern Afghanistan, setting up a shadow administration. Coalition forces are getting the beating of their lives from the rag tag Taliban. The whining and griping among coalition troops over their looming defeat increases with every passing day. Meanwhile on the Pakistani side of the frontier, rather than trying to reinforce failure, General Musharraf has beaten a hasty retreat from bordering Waziristan. Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails. Drunk with delusions of grandeur and self-adulation, the Empire seekers made bad choices in Afghanistan when they ignored the warnings of Sir Olaf Caroe, the last British governor of Pakistan`s Northwest Frontier Province. Caroe said: ``Unlike other wars, Afghan wars become serious only when they are over.`` Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails. The Empire seekers failed to understand, and still don`t, that it`s not the phenomenon of the Taliban that writes the epitaph on the grave of the Empire-builder`s dream, but it`s Pashtun RealVideo culture itself that is responsible. They failed to study the history that the British know only too well, but chose to withhold from their gullible partners. Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails. The Empire seekers have tried to defeat with brawn what they should have conquered with brain. They failed to realize that the rise and fall of the Taliban was but a brief moment in history in this rugged part of the world, and that Taliban or no Taliban, resisting foreign occupation is a way of life for them. Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails. The Empire seekers failed to comprehend that the Afghan Pashtuns may have been briefly subdued, but invariably they bounce back against their enemies with renewed strength and malice. They are equally renowned for their loyalty to friends and for their fierce blood feuds and hatred of their enemies. Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails. The Empire seekers refused to learn from history that as far as their blood feuds are concerned, the patience of the Afghan Pashtuns is as great as their mighty Hindukush [mountains]. These are some of the most battle-hardened tribal people on earth, having withstood the military might of Alexander the Great, the Mogul Emperors, the Soviets and the British. They don’t consider death too high a price to pay for their honor. Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails. The Empire seekers ignored the wisdom passed on to them from the Europeans since the days of Alexander. Afghanistan is a vast expanse of desolate plains and untamed mountains, ferocious warriors, uncompromising Islam, vicious tribal rivalries, and a complex politics that entwines bloodlines, chivalry, religion and history. It is a land of great mystery that should have been left to find stability on its own. Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails. In Iraq too, for the rigor mortis has nearly set in to corpse of the Empire-builder`s dream. There is a sense of finality that hasn’t existed during the past four years of occupation of that unfortunate country. Success in Iraq is no longer defined as defeating the sandal-footed resistance fighters, but rather to hold on long enough for something or someone to relieve the bogged down, war-weary and dehumanized American troops. Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails. The recently declassified National Intelligence Estimate calls Iraq a ``cause celebre RealVideo`` not for resisters of American occupation, but for ``terrorists.`` This deliberate attempt to confuse the two is likely to cost the Empire seekers more dearly with each passing day. Bring out the nails.


Bob Woodward`s new book, State of Denial,`
has shaken up pre-election Washington.

Bring out the nails. Veteran Washington reporter Bob Woodward tells Mike Wallace in an interview to be broadcast Oct. 1, that the Bush Administration has not told the truth regarding the level of violence in Iraq, especially against U.S. troops, and that attacks against coalition troops are getting to the point, ``where there are eight, nine-hundred attacks a week. That`s more than 100 a day. That is four an hour attacking our forces`` Woodward said. And intelligence reports predict that the insurgency will only grow worse over next year. Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails. According to Woodward, the President and Vice President have begun to regularly consult with Henry Kissinger, the war criminal and author of the Cambodian Bombing campaign which contributed so much to the civil war in that country. Kissinger thinks that in Iraq ``victory is the only meaningful exit strategy`` and that ``the problem in Vietnam was that we lost our will.`` Bring out the nails.

Bring out the nails to hammer into the coffin of the Empire-builder`s dream, but keep a silver bullet handy should the monster make a last-ditch attempt to escape from its eternal grave.

Bring out the nails.

*Anwaar Hussain is a former Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter pilot. With a Masters in Defense and Strategic Studies from Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad, he now resides in United Arab Emirates. He has published a series of articles in Defense Journal, South Asia Tribune and a host of other web portals. Other than international affairs, Anwaar Hussain has written extensively on the religious and political issues that plague Pakistan.

Ref masadi #246

[True, like a Las Vegas Casino, few win big, (with hard work and knowledge playing no part)]

Even in Vegasland, knowledge plays a part in winning.

A bunch of MIT graduate students analyzed blackjack, figured out a winning strategy, cleaned out a few casinos and were banned for life from playing. There was a 2-hour show about in on public television channels a couple of years back.

Most of the students had Jewish names. Just like those who enroll in jihadi schools have Muslim names.

When the shoe fits, wear it. Don`t complain about being singled out at airports for detailed frisking when you are named Mohammad.

#243 by hamidm2

Gold rushes don`t last for very long. At the outset everyone can pan the rivers and dig dirt with bare hands for Gold, till the conglomerates take over. Then the small timers are out. The dot.com industry is already dead, the I.T boom is surviving on telecoms which will reach saturation soon (3G is already dead). Global Bandwidth provision has severe limitations which will atrophy the web industry not far beyond what it is now. In short, the pie will not keep expanding for everyone (already contracting) and the big ones will keep whatever is around, and the small timers will be out of business and driving cabs.

Example is the corporate merger/acquisitions businesses which thrived in early 90s, and by later in the decade the wall-street investment bankers had to sell their BMWs. An earlier example is the Auto boom. How many are left? Same goes for the Oil boom.

You gave the example of the Lotus WP. It was precisely because Microsoft refused to share it`s OS code which market it had monopolized, that Lotus could not make its products work smoothly in Windows, and lost market share. That`s why Bill Gates is giving away his wealth. He wants to remove his guilt in acquiring all of it through meanness and greed.

bulleya #241 imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. your imitation of hamidm`s dotted style is......the.......sincerest....form...of...flattery..of..hamidm. :-)

PS: damn.....now...you....got....me...imitating....that...style....too!! ha!.....ha!

In addition to #247, you cannot have it both ways, unless you feel that Americans have attained consciousness and now recognize that wealth and power and not hard work shapes those who have attained power...I don`t think they have reached that level of fact-based consciousness yet, they are still very much chasing the dream in popular mythology and culture.

hamid writes <<< .arn`t you amazed at what mark cuban has accomplished so far (and it ain`t over yet) ........ now, tell me, what did mills accomplish in his usleless lifetime other than publishing rubbish to torture generations of college sophomores >>>

Inspiring hundreds of thousands with his work, and a unique place for himself in the evolution of the field especially regarding the structures of power. Almost half a century after his death people still learn from him while cuban, like a cuban cigar will burn with a strong aroma for a little while and then fade away just as fast, never to be recalled or remembered except for trivial matters.