The most threatened democracy in the world

This simply hadn't struck me until my dad pointed it out - India is the most threatened democracy in the world, especially now that even Bangladesh has turned to hardcore Islam with the new government being right wing and having supposedly set up terrorist training camps.

Let's take a look at all our neighbours; to the north we have China (which has been supplying arms, cruise missile tech and nuclear tech to Pakistan and sees India as an economic competitor and possibly as a threat because we're democratic) and Nepal (now in the throes of a Maoist rebellion). To the east is Myanmar which is run by a military junta and Bangladesh which is turning to hardcore Islam. To the south we have Sri Lanka, run by the terrorist LTTE (responsible for assassinating the Indian Prime Minister in 1990). To the west we have Pakistan - hardcore Islamic, run by a military dictatorship, home to a dozen terrorist outfits, safe house for the Taliban, nuclear power with cruise missile tech, China's protégé and counter to India in the subcontinent and of course, last but not least, "America's strategic ally in the war against terrorism".

Do the jehadis want Bush in power?

Looking back at the last five years, I'm beginning to suspect that the jehadis want Bush to stay in power.

He's doing their job for them all by his lonesome, isn't he? They just need to keep a majority of the American population scared of the terrorists so that he has a free hand to do whatever he wants.

He has killed the American economy. Jobs are going elsewhere, prices rising, people are dissatisfied. If I'm not mistaken, China owns 60% of Americas debt. From the world's strongest, most independent economy ten years ago, the US is now utterly dependent on their closest rival, China.

He has effectively turned a respectable fraction of the world's nations against him, what with his hypocrisy and double standards. Nobody wonders whether America harbours imperialist designs. The question is quite simply "Who's the next target?". No wonder the terrorists are sitting tight. They've understood that in this age, wars aren't fought with guns but with economics. Gun and bombs are incidental, tools to create fear, which in turn is just another way of directing economies.

Someone I know pointed out that historically, when an empire possesses military might disproportionate to its economic might, then war is sure to follow. Looks like he was right.

Lazy ol' me

Yes, yes, I have been lax with my posting. It has been umm... five weeks
of training plus four of actual work now since I last posted.

Let me quickly cover my reading since my last post. I did finish "Neuromancer", but did not
read "Flow my tears". In the order in which I read them:

• William Gibson
  

• Sprawl Trilogy Book 1 - Neuromancer
• Sprawl Trilogy Book 2 - Count Zero


• Ashok Banker
  
• Ramayana Book 1 - The Prince of Ayodhya
• Ramayana Book 2 - Siege of Mithila
• Ramayana Book 3 - Demons of Chitrakut
• Ramayana Book 4 - Armies of Hanuman
• Robert Heinlein


• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress




• Terry Pratchett
  
• Johnny Maxwell Trilogy Book 1 - Only You Can Save Mankind
• Johnny Maxwell Trilogy Book 2 - Johnny and the Dead
• Johnny Maxwell Trilogy Book 3 - Johnny and the Bomb
• Discworld Series - The Wee Free Men
• Discworld Series - A Hat Full of Sky


• Larry Niven
  
• Ringworld Book 1 - Ringworld
• Ringworld Book 2 - The Ringworld Engineers
• Ringworld Book 3 - The Ringworld Throne


• Robert Jordan
  
• Prologue and Chapter 1 of Wheel of Time Book 11 - Knife of Dreams