No More Mr. Nice Guy!

Talibanism in Pakistan

Pakistan seems to be melting down before our eyes, and the prospect of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of medieval religious cave-dwelling lunatics is very scary indeed.

I don't have anything useful to add to the discussion of Benazir Bhutto's murder but I do want to draw wider attention to this story about the destruction of centuries-old Buddha figures in the Swat region by the warlord mullah Fazlullah, who is growing increasingly powerful and extremist. Yes, I know the desecration of statues is small potatoes next to violence against people. But just as torture of animals is often a warning sign in children who grow up to be psychopaths and serial killers, this sort of mindless destruction and rabid fanaticism must be taken as a harbinger of how these warlords would rule Pakistan.

And of course the US can't do very much because we are bogged down in the Iraquagmire, fighting Junior's pet war which has totally destabilized the region for the foreseeable future. Yessirree Bob, Mission Accomplished! The Chinese curse is coming true; we are living in interesting times.