Die 90’s, Die

As the French say, ``un`bon nouvelle an``, to all Chowkwallahs, their spouses and children, their significant others, their pets and their relatives, either here or there or where ever! I hope the last year was all you wanted and I wish this year to be all you ever wished it to be and more! As the Irish, who have all the luck in the world, say ``may you never find a pebble in your shoe`` as you travel this year towards the doorway to new a millienium.

1998 was indeed a year to be forgotten and I am praying for the Spice Girls to break up. Being a student of history, I refuse to accept the fact that a nation which gave the world a Churchill, a John Lennon and a Maggie Thatcher (yes, I know my crucification will be soon for saying this) has nothing better to offer us than the Four Shrill Sirens of Mediocrity!

1998 was a annus horibilius for Pakistan. 1999, Allah willing will not be remembered as a annus absurdum for Pakistan, but then again, one should never overstimate the capacity of our collective leadership to do, in Spike Lee`s words, ``the right thing``.

As for me, I am counting the days and waiting for the nutcases of the world to come out and, as they sip their Starsbucks` tall mocha lattes with cinnemon, for the end of the world. I am not sure if the messiah will show up and the world will end, but I bet the Y2K bug will make life interesting towards the end of this year! An American poet once said that, ``the world will not end with a bang, but...`` it might end with a message that says Systems Error!

On a brighter note, I am confident that if the world ends, there still would be a Pakistan, because like cockroaches, we are not so easy to get rid of!

very well-written, shan.

btw, amy goodman on wbai had a memorable one-liner about 1998: she said this year would be remembered for ``sex and violence`` in the white house. i dont think i did justice to her sarcasm, guess you had to be there...

happy 1999!

shan saab,

just wanted to say that i read water buffaloes before and i LOVED it. i am a fan and was so pleased to see another piece by you on chowk. the wit and sarcasm with which you are able to relay events, stories and just life, hits home for me.

its so dennis miller stlye, the blurting intelligently and eloquently.

im going to go twiddle my collective thumbs and pray that the Spice girls never break up...where would that leave american society? i mean..no newt and on top of that no SPICE girls? khuda khair karay.

rizvi.

Re: Shan

An appropriate topic to celebrate the end of (well almost, there`s still 1999) the decade. Although I`m not into pop culture, I did enjoy reading your article. But I`d have to disagree with your statement that:

``But Hopper embodied the essence of what I always thought America was...wildly complex, maniacal in its expanse.``

To me Peter Fonda`s character truly believed in the individualism and the freedom that is the soul of America. Dennis Hopper`s character on the other hand was just a dope-smoking, devil-may-care, who-gives-a-sh_t-about-it kind of individual. Remember when they were on that commune and the poor utopian flower kids were trying to grow their own food to assert their independence? Well, Peter Fond`s character sincerely believed that they would succeed and he enjoyed being there, while Dennis Hopper`s character just wanted to get the hell outta there. Hopper`s was a rebel without a cause. Fonda`s was more meaningful. If they were to try and stop those fascist characters at the diner and at the very end from taking over D.C., who do you think would`ve been more successful in getting popular support?

As for the 90s in general, I think that we are living the Chinese curse: ``May you live in interesting times.`` I came here in the beginning of the year 1990. Since then, the world has seen, (this ain`t in any order) the end of the Cold War, the break-up of the Soviet Union, the fall of the Berlin wall, the Gulf War, the Wars in Bosnia, Kosovo and Chechnya, the deep recession of the early 90s, the currency meltdown and the Asian economic collpase in the late 90s, the second longest economic expansion of this century in the US, the re-unification of Germany, the advent of new currency Euro, the end of dictators like Suharto and Mobuto, the gradual descend of Pakistan into the abyss of corruption, chaos, bankruptcy and uncertainty thanks to BB and Sharif, the nuclear explosions by Pakistan and India, the cricket world cup victory by Pakistan, the rule of Taliban in Afghanistan, and that of BJP in India, the 9 out of 10 warmest years in history, death of Diana, the end of white rule in South Africa, a Democrat re-elected as US President for a change, the Middle-East peace accord and its lack of progress, 1.5 million deaths in Iraq due to sanctions, the election of Khatami in Iran and the attmepts by US/Iran to end the enmity, the World Trade Center bombing, the Oklahoma City bombing, and since I live in LA, the Los Angeles riots after the Rodney King incident, the Northridge earthquake, the fires, the floods, the trial of the Century aka the OJ Simpson case, the Menendez brothers trial, Titanic fever, the explosion of the PCs industry and the Internet, the biggest mergers in history...the list goes on. Did I leave anything out? As you said, there ain`t much to cheer about.

Rehan.

Complacency and the accompanying fear of disruption to the status quo are the
true legacies of 1998 and, indeed, the 90’s`

The above comment is worth it`s paper weight in Intel Stock. Great job.

Ras

Shan,

I really loved this piece, yaar. Written with great panache. There is a lot of content - and it`s all in the adjectives. I think it was David Halberstam who first said that the 90s will be to the 50s what the 80s were to the 60s. I suppose this has been borne out, if you consider that cynicism is to belief as greed is to sacrifice.

Of course, I genuflected at the homage to `Easy Rider`, a great film statement articulated in a great noun preceded by an even greater adjective. As you seem to imply, I, too, have started believing that America will end like that movie did.

And what was that opening line to `On the Road` ? ``I first met Dean not long after my wife and I had split up ... I had gotten over a serious illness that I won`t bother to talk about ...`` - or something like that.

Thanks, brown Kerouac. I can see the resemblance.

Saad

Interesting article expect for the references to the impeachment trial and the mid-term elections in 1998.

``However, what terrifies me is the apathy this scandal has highlighted in this country...`` Well said indeed! I, however, think that your idea of ``apathy`` and mine are different, but it is high time that this country woke up form its indifferent nightmare. If you ask me, 1998 was a primier example of American indulgence and its fété d`magnifiqué was the Clinton-Lewinsky orgy. Since January of this year, Clinton-Lewinsky saga, was all the American media reported and if you happened to live in these United States, you`d think that it was the only thing happening in the world - so egocentric was the American viewpoint.

The 1990s to me was a period marked by the symbology of social, political and a cultural decline offsetted by an increasing and prosperous economy. If the 1980s were the ``Me`` decade, the 1990s were the ``Not My Concern`` years. On a personal level, I lost 4 friends; one from stomach cancer, one from a rock climbing accident and two from suicides, all under the age of 25. One of the suicides, I could have prevented - I just missed the signs. I remember taking a girl, who was seeing a friend of mine, to an abortion clinc and nursing another one through a bitter divorce. Caring for still another one who was suffering from depression and tried to kill herself; because the person she loved did not love her. I saw my friends getting married and getting divorced. The 1990s, as far as I am concerned, will not be missed.

Sorry for this rambling rant..., but this decade to me will always be remembered for the bad that happened instead of the good.

I can`t figure out exactly what is it that you want to say. Now I know that you are ``a Pakistani born in Chicago`` (what a pity!), are somewhat knowledgeable about the rock music and the pop culture, perhaps have read ``On The Road``, and have an opinion on Clinton`s impeachment. So what! Who gives a cow`s dung! I hope that you`re more creative the next time.

By the way, 90s in your title should not have an apostrophe, it is possessive (a very annoying error among some Americans who do not know any better).