QOTD

"Just because it is not your fault does not mean it is not your problem"

Re: "*"

Civil Disobedience -- Henry David Thoreau

Civil Disobedience is Thoreau's primary essay on how to interact with Government. Here the author argues that a citizen must always uphold conscience over what is prescribed by law. Never one to accept the status quo, Thoreau says that if called, we must all disobey a system that is inherently prone to corruption and that even personal endangerment may be needed in order do what is right. An inspiration to luminaries such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., this essay is one of the core American writings on government.

Part 1 (30 min mp3)
Part 2 (28 min mp3)

Via eJunto

Oh No they didn't!!!!!

"Sharif Wins a Battle" -- The Economist

You know you're screwed when The Economist turns on you!

The political fallout is also worth celebrating. Mr Zardari, the unpopular president of a country he is alleged to have looted, has been reduced. With Mr Chaudhry, a dream of judicial independence in Pakistan has been restored. Mr Sharif, a populist and conservative leader, shunned by Pakistan’s and America’s previous administrations, is now talking to everyone and, confident of winning power at Pakistan’s next election, is apparently happy to play by the rules. To encourage him—and as a precursor to Mr Zardari’s cave-in over Mr Chaudhry—Mr Gilani has announced that the government will ask the Supreme Court to review its judgment against the Sharif brothers. In fact Mr Gilani, and the parliamentary system he represents, is another winner. Mr Zardari’s humbling should make it likelier that he will now, as he has long promised, hand back some of the souped-up presidential powers he inherited from Mr Musharraf.

AND...

Though chastened by their leader’s disgrace, some senior figures in Mr Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are also quietly content. Mr Zardari, widower of Benazir Bhutto, a former prime minister, has become a clownish regent for her dynasty, dismaying a party that sees itself as Pakistan’s most liberal and democratic. The recent resignation of two PPP ministers once close to Miss Bhutto, Raza Rabbani and Sherry Rehman, hinted at this. Ms Rehman, the information minister, quit last week after television news channels were taken off air by the de facto interior minister, Rehman Malik—one of several unelected cronies through whom Mr Zardari has been misruling his crisis-stricken country.

Pakistan Day... 62 Years in the Wilderness!

The "PAKISTAN Resolution"

While approving and endorsing the action taken by the Council and the Working Committee of the All-India Muslim League, as indicated in their resolutions dated the 27th of August, 17th & 18th September and 22nd of October, 1939, and 3rd of February, 1940 on the constitutional issue, this Session of the All-India Muslim League emphatically reiterates that the scheme of federation embodied in the Government of India Act 1935, is totally unsuited to, and unworkable in the peculiar conditions of this country and is altogether unacceptable to Muslim India.

It further records its emphatic view that while the declaration dated the 18th of October, 1939 made by the Viceroy on behalf of His Majesty’s Government is reassuring in so far as it declares that the policy and plan on which the Government of India Act, 1935, is based will be reconsidered in consultation with various parties, interests and communities in India, Muslims in India will not be satisfied unless the whole constitutional plan is reconsidered de novo and that no revised plan would be acceptable to Muslims unless it is framed with their approval and consent.

Resolved that it is the considered view of this Session of the All-India Muslim League that no constitutional plan would be workable in this country or acceptable to the Muslims unless it is designed on the following basic principles, viz., that geographically contiguous units’ are demarcated into regions which should be constituted, with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority as in the North Western and Eastern Zones of (British) India should be grouped to constitute “independent States” in which the constituent units should be autonomous and sovereign.

That adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards should be specifically provided in the constitution for minorities in these units in the regions for the protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights and interests in consultations with them and in other parts of (British) India where the Mussalmans (Muslims) are in a majority adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards shall be specifically provided in constitution for them and other minorities for the protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights and interests in consultation with them.

This session further authorises the Working Committee to frame a scheme of constitution in accordance with these basic principles, providing for the assumption finally by the respective regions of all powers such as defense, external affairs, communications, customs and such other matters as may be necessary.

via All Things Pakistan

Balls! What a concept!

A little lesson for the fucking pussies that we got here for our "ruling class" who can't get enough of the ole American Sphinctre to lick and spitshine on a daily basis at the cost of their own national interest (which they have no fucking idea about to begin with!)

Hugo Chavez, told Obama to go fuck himself after Obama made an ignorant ass remark about chavez.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama was at best an "ignoramus" for saying the socialist leader exported terrorism and obstructed progress in Latin America.

"He goes and accuses me of exporting terrorism: the least I can say is that he's a poor ignoramus; he should read and study a little to understand reality," said Chavez, who heads a group of left-wing Latin American leaders opposed to the U.S. influence in the region.

and ...

Chavez expelled its U.S. ambassador in September in a dispute over U.S. activities in his ally Bolivia, which also expelled its U.S. ambassador. Ecuador's left-wing President Rafael Correa this year kicked out a mid-ranking U.S. diplomat.

Our "ruling class" ought to be executed.

Fair Use Photo courtesy: Reuters.

Another perspective on "the victory".

There is no doubt that the popular will in Pakistan needs an outlet, and my view has always been that although Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif recognize this and have shown willingness to USE it for achieving their own objectives, I saw it as very unlikely that Nawaz Sharif (or even Aitezaz) would become party to the destruction of an order in which they themselves are "somebodies"

Some people in the PTI/JI camp are raising some questions on the mysterious moves of NS, SS and AA when the rest of the leadership of Movement for Rule of Law was incomunicado. (Imran was doggedly pursued, while AA was let out while the police looked away. note that there was NO MOB outside his house asking for him to be freed... he basically walked out of his house .. same thing happened to SS the night before and exactly the same thing was repeated with NS the next day around 1pm)

I'm not saying there was some back-door "deal", as TeethMaestro had pointed to while the long march was in progress (and which I didn't really buy into at first, at all to be honest!)... but at the very least these occurances are really myesterious and need some looking into.

Here is another perspective from World Socialst Website (WSWS) writer Keith Jones:

All of these measures were patterned after those that the dictator Musharraf had employed in 2007 in the face of mounting popular opposition.

But unlike then, sections of the military-security establishment in the Punjab balked.

Sharif quickly escaped from detention, with police reportedly joining in dismantling the barricades that they had erected round his house. Also escaping from house arrest was Aitzaz Ahsan, the lawyer and one-time PPP leader who has spearheaded the campaign to restore the purged judges to the bench.

He also seems to confirm my views that due to his right of center leanings, and the changed US strategy in Afghanistan despite the so called "surge", Nawaz Sharif has actually become more palatable for the US and he is only slightly less controllable than Zardari and it will all be done through the Saudi's to whom he (NS) owes big time! ...

The Obama administration also feared that a showdown between the country's principal bourgeois parties, involving mass demonstrations and confrontations with the police, could provide an entry point for Pakistan's oppressed masses to voice their anger at a devastating economic crisis and wrenching IMF restructuring program.

With its intervention in Pakistan's most recent political crisis, the Obama administration appears to have made a definite shift in US policy toward Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) or PML (N).

So? was this really the victory that Sharif(s) are proclaiming it is? the author doesn't seem to think so:

Sharif and much of the Pakistani media are proclaiming the restoration of the judges an historic triumph for democracy. It is nothing of the sort.

Once again Washington and the military have manipulated Pakistan's political structure for their reactionary ends.

The judges, Chaudhry included, have a long record of providing a legal fig-leaf for the authoritarian and arbitrary actions of the military and, even more importantly, have served as the legal enforcers of Pakistan's grossly unequal capitalist social order.

That is why all manner of right-wing forces, including the Ex-Servicemen's Association of former ISI-head Hamid Gul and other reactionary generals, and the Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest Islamic fundamentalist party, were willing to campaign for their return to the bench.

If Sharif has focused his opposition to the PPP government on the judges issue, it is precisely because he has no fundamental disagreement with the PPP-led government's support for the Afghan war or its neo-liberal economic policies.

Seems to me that they (ie; Messers Sharif Brathran) just wanted this "itmaam-e-hujjat" so that they could get this "judiciary restoration monkey" off their back. Because now they seem ready to get on-board with the PPP government and the whole judiciary thing is out of the way too... still remains to be seen whether Zardari will actually want them back in after them having stolen all the credit for "restoration of judiciary".... (wtf?)

And finally, some thoughts on the class aspects of the "leadership" of the march and those "who were led". The ruling elite of Pakistan, averted a disaster for itself when Nawaz and Aitezaz, members of the ruling elite and therefore having the same class interests, made the decision to call off the long march after the token restoration of the chief justice... who gives a shit about real reform that the nation really wants. eh? This is exactly why neither Nawaz nor Aitezaz bothered to have the PM give guarantees in the speech about taking concrete steps in the parliament viz-a-viz the independence of judiciary. Something that I had talked about a while back.

VICTORY! (Kind Of...)

First they IGNORE you,
Then they LAUGH at you,
Then they FIGHT with you,
...
Then YOU WIN!!!


WE WON! (kind of)

3.15.09 - Day 4 - THRILLA IN MOHALLAH!

mayhem in Lahore as police seem powerless to contain the crowd. AA arrested. Javed Hashmi arrested. First day for new information minister Kaira. LOL. Nawaz Sharif and others are still defying orders.

I'm sure Zardari has "a plan"

GPO chowk has been occupied by violent protesters. A policeman nearly got killed by the mob, but then, the mob itself protected him and dropped him off by the other policemen.

I have a gut feeling that Zardari wants to impose emergency on account of this.

Long March Day 3 -- Sherry Rehman Resigns! Phew!

Casualties So far:

Geo News Blocked in all of Pakistan - FUCK THESE FUCKERS!

Fuck Zardaro!
Fuck craven yes men in People's Party

You have soiled the name of Pakistan, it's People and this Party.

SHAME ON YOU!

YOU WILL NOT WIN! WE PROMISE YOU!

3.13.09 - Day Two - Long March For Rule of Law is Still ON!

Islamabad is quaking in her pretty little red slippers. By some accounts at least a hundred thousand people are already in Rawalpindi and Islamabad staying hidden until they converge on the "Constitution Avenue" on March 16th 2009.

Rauf Klasra is reporting that our "kleptocracy" and her "foreign owners" have realized that Zardari may have become a liability. He is to be sidelined and some key demands are to be met. Kiyani has met Zardari and the PM multiple times.

Javed Hashmi relating that people are being dragged out of their houses, half naked. Other reports are that A human rights worker was arrested in Islamabad. A worker's leg was broken by the police as they tried to detain her. Sindhi women activists were brutally treated by the authorities and their crime was that they wanted to join a peaceful long march.

But Aitezaz came on the phone and said that the long march was on! Nawaz League stayed or left, the lawyers movement for Rule of Law would proceed as planned. They will not believe any "tassali tashaffi" from the likes of Rehman Malik and Zardari. He said that the main deficit was that of trust which the Zardari regime had squandered away.

So, it is day 2. The long march has already succeeded by creating the panicked response in these incompetents and we have seen them make fools of themselves on the international scene. 2000+ articles in Google news regarding this event and counting.

Could we see a stronger prime minister come out of this? Could we see a more independent judiciary?

This is why I wish there was a charter of demands, enforceable via parliamentry drafts of bills ALREADY prepared by the lawyers movement.

Welcome to Zardari Raj!

3.12.09 - DAY ONE Long March For PAKISTAN!

"Fascism in Action" (Editorial in "The News"):

We spiral downwards in the direction of totalitarianism, of the destruction of democratic process and institutions. Whatever good we might have glimpsed in the aftermath of last years election has died, sacrificed on the altar of ambition and selfishness that sadly grips the minds of those who govern. It is Pakistan's tragedy that we have once more been betrayed. The forces that claimed to stand for judicial independence and democratic principle have turned brutally on people. Under its present leadership, the PPP has lost all right to be called a party of the people. Those who head it have been completely exposed. Their actions have plunged a struggling nation into still greater turmoil. History will not absolve them for what they have done.

LONG MARCH 2009 - CYBERSPACE ISHTYLE!

How to Follow Long March Online and How to Report if You are participating:

Live Coverage -
http://cli.gs/LongMarch

Monitor on your GPRS enabled cell phone -
http://cli.gs/LongMarchCell

Blog -
http://marchforjustice.wordpress.com/

Pictures can be sent via MMS / Email -
http://longmarch.seenreport.com

Yaser said...

A small Addition: the coverage on seenreport is live so if anyone wants to send Pictures or videos through their mobile then simply MMS those to
longmarch@seenreport.com or longmarch.cityname@seenreport.com and those mobile updates will be published right away.

The phone number is only for SMS and not for MMS.

GENERAL EMAIL UPDATES Re: Your Long March Experiences:
Send an email to longmarch@seenreport.com

CITY SPECIFIC EMAIL UPDATES
Send an email to address longmarch.cityname@seenreport.com
For example, to update about Jhelum, send email to: longmarch.jhelum@seenreport.com

SMS UPDATES to 0332-4797546 in the format "longmarch YOUR MESSAGE"
While sending SMS you can also use the cityname variant like in email or mms ( "longmarch.jhelum YOUR MESSAGE" )

Twitter: - http://twitter.com/LongMarch or Follow twitter Hashtag at http://search.twitter.com/search?q=LongMarch


PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO ALL

CREDIT: TEETHMAESTRO ET AL.

"Yehi hamaaraa raastah hai, aur yehi hamaaraa vaastah hai"

Thieves in the Night

Democracy!

"Sung" Version

Its coming through a hole in the air
]from those nights in tiananmen square
Its coming from the feel
That it aint exactly real
Or its real, but it aint exactly there
from the wars against disorder
from the sirens night and day
from the fires of the homeless
from the ashes of the gay
Democracy is coming to the u.s.a.

Its coming through a crack in the wall
On a visionary flood of alcohol
from the staggering account
Of the sermon on the mount
Which I dont pretend to understand at all
Its coming from the silence
On the dock of the bay
from the brave, the bold, the battered
Heart of chevrolet
Democracy is coming to the u.s.a.

Its coming from the sorrow on the street
The holy places where the races meet
from the homicidal bitchin
That goes down in every kitchen
To determine who will serve and who will eat
]from the wells of disappointment
Where the women kneel to pray
For the grace of God in the desert here
And the desert far away
Democracy is coming to the u.s.a.

Chorus
Sail on, sail on
O mighty ship of state!
To the shores of need
Past the reefs of greed
Through the squalls of hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on...

Its coming to america first
The cradle of the best and of the worst
Its here they got the range
And the machinery for change
And its here they got the spiritual thirst
Its here the familys broken
And its here the lonely say
That the heart has got to open
In a fundamental way
Democracy is coming to the u.s.a.

Its coming from the women and the men
O baby, well be making love again
Well be going down so deep
That the rivers going to weep
And the mountains going to shout amen!
Its coming like the tidal flood
Beneath the lunar sway
Imperial, mysterious
In amorous array
Democracy is coming to the u.s.a.

Chorus

Im sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I cant stand the scene
And Im neither left or right
Im just staying home tonight
Getting lost in that hopeless little screen
But Im stubborn as those garbage bags
That time cannot decay
Im junk but Im still holding up
This little wild bouquet
Democracy is coming to the u.s.a.

In Protest of Zardari Party's ILLEGAL and UNDEMOCRATIC Actions of March 10, 2009

Happy Wimminz Day!

Inturrusting....

Hello Chris Broad, Welcome to FUCKUP-ISTAN!

These FUCKING FUCKS! Can they FUCKING DO ANYTHING RIGHT? DOEST THIS COUNTRY EVEN DESERVE TO EXIST????

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCJJJJJKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FUCK EM ALL!!

The police ran the fuck away! JTFC!

Topi Drama?

You set'em up!



He'll knock'em down!

Nasir Kazmi (March 2nd - 37th Anniversary)

More at: Iqbal cyber Urdu Library

Miscalculate Much?

Courtesy: Dawn Group of News Papers.