Author Archives: Editors

Ukraine, Russia and the Easter of Insanity

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Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.

Ukraine, Russia and the Easter of Insanity

We, the People witnessing a planned scheme of things to exterminate humanity with superior weapons hitting targeted civilian towns and daily bloodbath as a new normal. Have we not learned any lessons from the European nationalistic wars of First World War and the 2nd World War?  We, the Humanity continue to argue if wars have become part of new normal – unknown and unthinkable to human civilizations and rational thinking. We, the People are entrapped and entrenched by dirty politics of the few. It needs a formidable challenge to rethink about the continuity of the current tragedy in Ukraine.

To stop the war in Ukraine, the US, the EU, NATO should have a direct face to face communication with President Putin. It could be facilitated under the G20 auspices. It is logical when people of diversity and opposing ideals come to talk directly, tensions and evil mongering is reduced to reason and mutual interest. This has not happened except military options for weapon supplies and enlargement of the scope of regional conflict.  Time and history will not forgive nor forget any of the leaders if they failed to agree to an immediate ceasefire and peace deal. 

Pakistan Politics-Brief Thought By F.Sheikh

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Brief Thought

Everyone knows that IK got elected in 2018 with the help of establishment and many corrupt (electables) switched sides to join PTI. These “electables” continued their corruption under the supervision, immunity, and protection of their so called “honest” leader. IK was sending NAB after corrupt opposition leaders but conveniently looked the other way when their own members were involved. Even two ministers were on Pandora list, but he never asked for their resignation, or sent NAB after them. It is worth reading one of the e mail Pervez Hoodbhoy sent in response to an article critical of him and American conspiracy; “

“Naqi Sahib: Are you saying that I have opposed Imran Khan because America tells me that? Please understand that things happen in this world for reasons of their own and not only because of America. Pakistan has had many crazed leaders but none as disgusting as this man – a man who has assiduously pampered religious fanatics, ruined education, ruined the economy, and brought a new low to politics. We are thrilled that this insatiable womanizer who now preaches morality to everyone is gone. Why are you giving America the credit for this? The credit belongs to us, the people of Pakistan. Pervez Hoodbhoy”.

In my opinion, vote of no confidence was a mistake and opposition and establishment should have waited for general election in 18 months. But I think possibly the establishment did not want to wait till next year due to critical economic situation and dangerous direction the foreign policy was moving considering most of the trade is with the West and military hardware is also dependent on West.

Opposition was trying to pass vote of no confidence since long ago and failed, but announcement by establishment of “neutrality” was greenlight to many disenchanted and disappointed MNA’s to change the sides and that changed the whole dynamics. The same “establishment” which gave us IK, realized the disastrous mistake it made and try to correct it by becoming “neutral”.

 Establishment knew that by becoming neutral which leaders will become in power-same leaders who were strongly critical of establishment for its involvement in politics, but country’s situation may be so dire that establishment concluded that they may be a lesser evil.

In my opinion, the vote of no confidence, not a wise move, but was taken as per constitution of Pakistan. What is most disappointing is that IK’s supporters are not upset against establishment because the establishment is interfering in politics and democratic values, but are upset that establishment should not be neutral and continue its support of IK by interfering in politics and democratic values.

 Unfortunately, PTI, IK, and most of its supporters do not realize that main reason the Pakistan never progressed was that establishment continue to interfere in politics, did not let politicians and political institutes to grow and get stronger. What we see Pakistan today is Pakistan shaped mostly by the establishment not by politicians.

(I noted Mirza Sahib also has posted Hoodbhoy’s email)

Pakistan: Politics of Deception and Betrayal

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Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD

Pakistan: Politics of Deception and Betrayal

The lingering suspicion unfolds a reasoned impression that Imran Khan – the hurriedly ousted PM’s failure is the net success of the nine skeleton grouped parties – “Democratic Front.” This Front is not formed by the people but by the few discontented figures eager to grab political power by any means. It would be illogical to describe the opposition as democratic as so many of them are listed indicted criminals, thugs, killers and failed politicians of the recent past. The current political chaos does not signal any ingenious mechanism of rational perception to appreciate the necessity of political change engineered by the few against many – the masses of Pakistan.

There is stunning embarrassed silence as to why the army General would become part of a violent assumption for change and plague the extravagant idea of leadership change in the country. The so-called “Democratic Front” does not appear to have any rational agenda for the present or futuristic socio-economic and political challenges and hard times facing the besieged nation. 

Imran Khan – a new generation sportsman (Tehreek-e-Insaf) “Movement for Justice”, with moral and intellectual integrity had many weaknesses and strength but unlike the opposition leaders, he has no criminal past, he did not rob any banks nor killed any fellow citizens and did not loot any public treasury to buy palaces in UK, France, Dubai and elsewhere. Is Pakistani politics reserved for the thugs, criminals and killers and not for any intelligent proactive person standing for a fair and just society to be evolved in a systematic manner?

Theranos Verdict: it is fine to lie to customers but not to investors.

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The verdict on Theranos founder and former CEO Elizabeth Holmes, who was tried for fraud in a U.S. court, was guilty. Theranos was a company set up by Holmes and her former partner Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani and had promised to revolutionize blood testing. Their advanced biotech equipment—they claimed—would provide results for a whole battery of tests with just a few drops of blood. In its heyday, Theranos was worth more than $9 billion, and Elizabeth Holmes was looked at as “the next Steve Jobs.” She was also the face that launched $724 million in stock sales to private equity firms and venture capitalists. Holmes figured in Time’s 2015 list of the 100 most influential people of the year and was feted by Wall Street as the “world’s youngest self-made female billionaire.”

The evidence presented during the trial showed that Theranos technology did not work, and Holmes, while fully aware of it, knowingly falsified the results and forged reports. These “doctored reports” showed that major pharmaceutical companies endorsed her products, and even the U.S. military was using Theranos equipment in the field.

Holmes got major names in the industry to invest almost a billion dollars in Theranos. The investors included the Walton family, who owns Walmart; Rupert Murdoch, the major media mogul; the family of Betsy DeVos, who was the former secretary of education under the Trump administration; Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle; and many other people with deep pockets. Meanwhile, Theranos’ board of directors also had dazzling names including former U.S. secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz and former U.S. secretaries of defense James Mattis and William Perry.

The people who invested in Theranos and sat on its board are a reflection of today’s stock market: it is dominated by trillions of dollars of private wealth, estimated by the Economist in 2018 to be in the range of $9 trillion.

Please click the following Link to read the full article.

by Prabir Purkayastha