Tuesday, May 3, 2011

And the prize goes to...

The world has seen some eventful last 7 days. The 'Royal Wedding' extravagant affair took a lot of attention from all around the world, President Obama finally released his long form Hawaiian birth certificate, and then the President produced Osama Bin Laden's death certificate. So now we can all sigh in relief. Or something like that.
The least interesting event of the three is definitely the wedding. Not only did it symbolize a gruesome waste of taxpayer money in a country that's struggling financially but it also showed how senselessly bedazzled the world is with unconcerning fancy parties. No, I'm not British so I probably don't understand the "true meaning" of what this might symbolize but while the world is in the midst of multiple wars and unrests, genocides, poverty, tsunamis and tornadoes, the fact that two normal people decide to tie the knot does not excuse ALL the news channels to air this event. There are enough people who find this a very important happening, but in the grand scheme of things it means nothing to people like you and me. We won't at all be affected by what happens and neither does it symbolize 'true love' as some people have been suggesting. 3 out of 4 of the Queen's children, including Prince Charles, ended their grand weddings in grand divorces. So let's get real. They're pretty normal, and raising them on a pedestal isn't going to change anything except belittle the issues that so need attention and action.
Of course we all heard about President Obama's birth certificate fiasco. A humorous reminder that ignorance can never be diminished and seeing how he's been questioned on the authenticity of what he provided, it's pretty clear that some people are never going to be satisfied with his responses. I hope he learned his lesson well and won't stoop down to prove the crazies right again. Maybe not until election time at least!
The death of Osama bin Laden was pretty big news, though. Aside from the exciting-spy-thriller-movie-like-mystery about covert and clandestine operations by the CIA and Navy Seals, it was just a 'wow okay' moment. Millions of dollars spent and thousands of men looking for this al-Qaeda kingpin for the last fifteen years, and this guy is sitting in a mansion 60 km from the capital city of Pakistan. I mean if the Pakistani government had no clue that he was there (as they are claiming) then the term Pakistani Intelligence is definitely an oxymoron rather than an organization. I was watching the news anchors on all major networks last night speaking with either Pakistani journalists or some members of the Pakistani government and they are in complete denial that this is even possible. Pervez Musharaff, an ex-President of Pakistan, was quoted in an article yesterday stating that the United States, by entering Pakistan and attacking Osama's mansion, committed a breach of sovereignty and is irresponsible. Hello! We only gave them, what, ten years and ten billion dollars each of those years to strengthen their infrastructure, army, weaponry, and "intelligence" so that they could help us catch this guy. He's been sitting under their nose and they have no idea and yet they are talking about irresponsible breach.
So out of the three events, due to the nature of mystery unraveled and questions raised with meaningful answers that can shape diplomatic relations across the world for decades to come, the prize for the best happening this week goes to the blowing up of Osama bin Laden. No offense to any Pakistanis, and I know tons of them coming from Chicago, but this episode is a blunt indication of the shadiness that exists in this country. India has been screaming on the top of its lungs for the last four decades regarding Pakistan's credibility and their leanings towards housing terrorists. President of Afghanistan, Hamad Karzai has been pointing his finger towards Pakistan as the major terrorist State. No one listened. Now Pakistan has to answers some very difficult questions without posing to be a victim of the circumstance, which is what's usually done. Good luck Gilani, where are you going to hide now?