US Commando Strike in Waziristan

FYI: NYT magazine Dept 7 2008: Right at the Edge

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/magazine/07pakistan-t.html?pagewanted= all

ahmadmadani#82:

That's a complex question, Madani Saheb!

For starters, both Canada and the US have about the same percentage of home ownership, around 65%. But this is a somewhat misleading indicator as India and Pakistan have over 80% homeownership although a majority of them won't even qualify as "housing" in the western world. As for the size, I do not know comparative figures, but I think that people buy house partly for their housing needs, partly as a marker of social status and partly as investment. In New York and San Francisco (or in Mumbai, for that matter), a small condominium would cost much more than a large house in Idaho or Prince Edward Island, so people in Idaho and Prince Edward Island will have larger houses even though they cost more to heat and light.

As you pointed out, interest on mortgages is not deductible in Canada but it is compensated to some extent by the fact that capital gains on principle residence in Canada is not taxable unlike in the US where it is. But Canada does encourage housing in many other ways to support both the housing needs as well as its huge multiplier effect on the whole economy; a fact which is evident in the US.

You are quite right that North Americans are not crazy about gold but those who can, do buy diamond jewellery; as they say, diamonds are a girl's best friend. These days, btw, diamonds are becoming increasingly more popular for jewellery even in India.

The Indian women's love for jewellery had a more practical aspect as well. It was a Hindu custom to regard gold jewellery as "stree-dhan" (woman's property), so when the marriage broke down or a husband acquired another wife, the gold jewellery stayed with the wife. Muslims continued with this tradition of stree-dhan, so the love of the yellow metal stayed with them after conversion to the new faith.

#94 Posted by muqaddam on September 7, 2008 2:03:48 am


The recent blockade by Pakistan of fuel being trucked in to Afghanistan for the coalition forces


You mean the "blockade" that's already been lifted?

So if "bear stearns bailout" has hundreds of hits on google, that means bear was a bailout instead of a guarantee...

Of course, the rule doesn't apply when "pakistan and terrorism" show up on searches of every newspaper..let along google...

Bubba, over 90% of the american public is vested in the US capital markets either directly, or through pension funds and such. Democrats are simply playing politics. It is stupid. Shareholders of fannie and fannie are not just rich white guys, they are also black lesbians like tahmed whose pension funds and ira account investments. And what is this bailout we keep hearing about? Is it cash? Is it guaranteeing of underlying assests? Both?

The idiots in the media and tahmed make it sound like Hooverville's are being set up in each suburb, and ISNA is running soup kitchens at full capacity. :)

There is a greater sentiment from some pakis of platepissing which is more prominent now than ever. as if there are no cyclical downturns in a capitalist structure...as if the hinjews and whiteboys making decisions at mid east soverin funds have converted to islam and are bringing the end to this evil satan called USA.

There will be more bankruptsies, there will be more political rhetoric but some perspective fellas. Why is korea putting money in lehman and not in china or india? Why do middle easten swf's clamor to put money in US corporates, instead of their own back yards or pakistan? It is because this country is still provides the safest returns anywhere. And they don't mind if they have to do it on terms that favor the US companies.

CA #110 Dont believe me - google "Bear Sterns bailout" study some of the half-million links it provides.

hamidm: spare me the namecalling for telling you the obvious - unless you own enough houses to not have to worry about retirement, republicans are going to make you rich no sooner than mullahs are going to deliver 72 virgins to urstruly.

and if you have bought the republican line that democrats pander to "welfare mommas" and not to "retirement papas" like you, then i have this great waterfront property in kabul to sell you..

Ahmedmadani, when the markets corrects in the US, the world gets a cold. Look at russia, india, china this year. Everyone thinks they are decoupled but they are not!

And tahmed, how was the Bear deal a bailout? I didn't know tender offers are bailouts...:)

tahmed,

bewakoof! ....explain the difference between mccain and hussein on this issue:

"Paulson briefed congressional leaders and presidential candidates John McCain yesterday and Barack Obama on Friday night. Obama yesterday said that he approves of the government action, if it does not bail out the companies' shareholders and executives and is good for the economy. Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said a McCain administration would make the companies smaller and more effective. "

.... so what if mccain has seven houses, i know many pakis who have multiple homes and dozens of investment properties ... many mid-level auto executives and subway franchise owners in michigan owns least three homes - one here, one "up north" and one down in florida ..... and the ones up north are not shacks - inspite of the recession, waterfront homes in traverse city and on places like torch lake still run in the millions ........ and the democrats like hussein and the kennedys who pander to the welfare mommas living in the ghetto, do not live in cardboard shacks either ......... so cut out this democrat wihining

hamidm: and how big a sucker do you have to be if you think that "cant count my houses" mccain, and "only little people pay taxes and worry about retirement funds" republicans are going to help you out. unless you buy their "trickle down" economics, in which case you are an even bigger sucker.

hamidm: if you are worried about retirement, i think you wont earn money for your retirement discussing matters with the financial experts on chowk. unless Mr. Masadi pays you by the post.

bubba mian,

.... in principle i agree with you, but being a little closer to retirement than you i cannot afford to wait for the markets to recover on their own and i certainly can't afford citibank going under since they have a lot of my money ..... being a paki, my principles take a back seat to my petty self interests ..... let me get my money out of the market and then i might change my tune ........ however, don't worry, i am still voting for mccain - when it comes to iraq and the economy, i really don't see too much daylight between him and hussein ........

#104 how can these doggie-style things be happening in Mr. Masadi's presence, peon sahib??!! :-(

Re: # 103

yes tahmeedi saab, peon has been banned all the time saab. in our country saab they are taking ours doggie style saab, ghareeb aadmi ki saans bhi band hai saab

salam saab

#101 peon sahib: they banned you, sahib!! that is SO rude of them!!

#90 createalpha: it was a bailout, sriram chuckie (and dont confuse sriram bubba by sharing your ignorance - learn the meaning of bailout instead).