The Londoner

By  Janet Daley More than three centuries ago, the residents of America staged a rebellion against an oppressive ruler who taxed them unjustly, ignored their discontents and treated their longing for freedom with contempt. They are about to revisit that tradition this week, when their anger and exasperation sweep through Congress like avenging angels. This time the hated oppressor isn't a foreign colonial government, but their own professional political class. In New York last week I was struck by the startling shift of mood since my last visit, during Barack Obama's first year in office. This phenomenon took varying forms, of course, depending on the political orientation of my interlocutor, but the underlying theme of despair and disgust was almost universal. Liberal Democrats (who hugely outnumber most other factions in that city) were despondent and disappointed with the collapse of Obama's popularity. A few of them (remarkably few, actually) were ready to blame this...

Glenn Beck is the darling of the right wing  On Sept. 12, a large crowd gathered in Washington to protest ... what? The goals of Congress and the Obama Administration, mainly — the cost, the scale, the perceived leftist intent. The crowd's agenda was wide-ranging, so it's hard to be more specific. "End the Fed," a sign read. A schoolboy's placard denounced "Obama's Nazi Youth Militia." Another poster declared, "We the People for Capitalism Not Socialism." If you get your information from liberal sources, the crowd numbered about 70,000, many of them greedy racists. If you get your information from conservative sources, the crowd was hundreds of thousands strong, perhaps as many as a million, and the tenor was peaceful and patriotic. Either way, you may not be inclined to believe what we say about numbers, according to a recent poll that found record-low levels of public trust of the mainstream media.  At any rate, what we can say with c...

In a year and half,  Mr Johnson  will be in the final days of his battle with Ken Livingstone to win re-election as Mayor of London. It would be catastrophic for Mr Johnson, and for the  Tory  cause in London, if he could be painted by Mr Livingstone as a mere  Cameron  stooge, meekly obeying the heartless diktats of Downing Street on housing benefit and on many other things too. The chances are that in the spring of 2012, when the pain of the spending cuts will still be more apparent than the gain, the Conservatives will be deeply unpopular. The Cameron-Osborne strategy is designed to ensure victory at a general election in 2015 , by which time several years of belt-tightening will have given way to the wonderful prospect of tax cuts. Mr Johnson is naturally not going to sit idly by and let himself become an unlamented victim of this masterplan. He knows he can only win in 2012 by showing that he is a more redoubtable champion for London tha...

From Daily Telegraph Mr Gorbachev, who pulled Russian troops out of Afghanistan in 1989 after a 10-year war, said the US had no alternative but to withdraw troops. "Victory is impossible in Afghanistan. [Barack] Obama is right to pull the troops out. No matter how difficult it will be," he told the BBC. Mr Gorbachev added that as the Soviets prepared to withdraw from Afghanistan, the US was training militants, "the same ones who today are terrorising Afghanistan and more and more of Pakistan". He said that because of this, withdrawal would be more difficult. "But what's the alternative - another Vietnam? Sending in half-a-million troops? That wouldn't work." His comments came amid news that Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, will attend a Nato summit next month, to discuss plans for Russian forces to return to Afghanistan. Nato officials said Russia had agreed to sell helicopters to Afghanistan and provide training. Moscow will allow ...

Related Posts: 1.  Why United States & NATO Are Not Winning In Afghanistan? 2. Barack Obama Has Successfully Alienated Everyone 3. America Will Start Leaving Afghanistan in June 2011 – Implications of Initial Surge & Eventual Withdrawal On Pakistan? 4. Distinction between Afghan Taliban & Pakistani Taliban -- Are The Two Groups Fighting For Different Causes? 5. Pakistan - Facing Contradictory Strategic Choices In An Uncertain Region

By Sikander Hayat Younis Khan is back. He asked for forgiveness and was pardoned by Ejaz Butt. I do not know how Pakistan cricket team works and how the affairs of the team are run. Selections are made on personal like or dislike of the board chairman. To be in the team, one has to be in the personal good books of the chairman. At the moment Pakistan cricket team is a team of retards who have never spent a day in any school and do not know the ways of the civilization. The mental capacity of the individual players on the team seems quite low on the scale from 1 to 10. Pakistan used to win from positions from where it seemed impossible to win but this bunch somehow snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Pakistan lost nearly all matches in Australia at the start of this year and people thought it cannot get any worse. But what Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif ( a serial offender ) and Muhammad Aamir did in England was beyond my or any Pakistani's imagination. Ignominy o...

By Sikander Hayat Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari was the eighth President of Pakistan from November 14, 1993 until December 2, 1997. He was the first Baloch President of Pakistan. He died yesterday after a long battle with myriad of medical problems. He was a top member of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and for his loyalty to the party he was given the post of President of Pakistan by Benazir Bhutto.  He was a PPP “jiyala” up until he dismissed Benazir Bhutto’s government on corruption charges. Asif Ali Zardari was the main reason then for the dissolution of parliament and end of Benazir's government. After this event PPP cadres & leadership never forgave Farooq Laghari for his betrayal and always called him a traitor. 

By Sikander Hayat ANP & MQM are waging a bitter war against each other in Karachi and surrounding areas. The significance of this is that it puts Urdu speakers against the Pakhtuns and violence is escalating everyday. Given the importance of  Karachi for Pakistan's economy, it is a bitter blow to the country's struggle to get its economy moving again. Pakistan cannot afford to have this ethnic confrontation between the two groups to go on for too long. Both MQM & ANP are part of the government in the federal government which is headed by Asif Ali Zardari. Shahi Saeed ( ANP Karachi leader ) & Haider Abbas Rizvi ( MQM leader) are both accusing each other for the assassinations going on in the city.  Pakistan is so busy fighting a war against the TTP ( Tekreek e Taliban Pakistan) & Indian sponsored terrorists in Balochistan that it cannot keep its eyes on this seriously escalating situation in Karachi. ...

By Sikander Hayat In a nationwide address on the national television (PTV), prime minister has denied that his government or president Asif Zardari had anything to do with planning to remove judges. It seems that PPP is beating a retreat on this issue and want a ceasefire with the judiciary. But judiciary is no mood to listen. I do not know which way Pakistan is going to go in the next few months given the current climate in the political class of Pakistan. People on the street do not have any idea on where to look for help. People are hungry, destitute and during the current flood crisis even resorted to prostitution to feed them. Among all this pain & misery, Pakistan’s Judiciary, PPP & Army are playing a game of hide & seek. They need to realise that people on the street, the silent majority is sick of their shenanigans. Wake up now, you idiots, or it will be too late.  Related Posts:   1.  Why Pakistan Army Must Allow The Democracy To Flourish In ...

By Sikander Hayat 1. United States forgot the important war of Afghanistan and invaded Iraq to fight an enemy (Al Qaida) which was not there. George Bush Junior had a personal vendetta against Saddam Hussian who fought in the first Gulf war against George Bush Senior & survived. Bush Junior wanted to finish Saddam off & made use of some dodgy intelligence about weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) to invade Iraq. America took her eyes off the ball which was Afghanistan for many years and is now paying the price in life & money. 2. Important resources were diverted from Afghanistan to Iraq leaving Afghan war not properly funded for many years. Both in terms of man power & hardware, Afghanistan was under resourced to point that many in America almost forgot that they were engaged in an active conflict in another country with the name of Afghanistan. 3. When America neglected Afghanistan, space was created for the Taliban to return and convince the local population...