Do Read

To round out your Friday, do read:

1. From the Times - how the Taliban conquered the Swat Valley and why the rest of Pakistan ought to be easy pickings:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The Taliban have advanced deeper into Pakistan by engineering a class revolt that exploits profound fissures between a small group of wealthy landlords and their landless tenants, according to government officials and analysts here.

The strategy cleared a path to power for the Taliban in the Swat Valley, where the government allowed Islamic law to be imposed this week, and it carries broad dangers for the rest of Pakistan, particularly the militants’ main goal, the populous heartland of Punjab Province.

In Swat, accounts from those who have fled now make clear that the Taliban seized control by pushing out about four dozen landlords who held the most power.

To do so, the militants organized peasants into armed gangs that became their shock troops, the residents, government officials and analysts said.

The approach allowed the Taliban to offer economic spoils to people frustrated with lax and corrupt government even as the militants imposed a strict form of Islam through terror and intimidation.

“This was a bloody revolution in Swat,” said a senior Pakistani official who oversees Swat, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation by the Taliban. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it sweeps the established order of Pakistan.”

The Taliban’s ability to exploit class divisions adds a new dimension to the insurgency and is raising alarm about the risks to Pakistan, which remains largely feudal.

Unlike India after independence in 1947, Pakistan maintained a narrow landed upper class that kept its vast holdings while its workers remained subservient, the officials and analysts said. Successive Pakistani governments have since failed to provide land reform and even the most basic forms of education and health care. Avenues to advancement for the vast majority of rural poor do not exist.

Analysts and other government officials warn that the strategy executed in Swat is easily transferable to Punjab, saying that the province, where militant groups are already showing strength, is ripe for the same social upheavals that have convulsed Swat and the tribal areas.

Mahboob Mahmood, a Pakistani-American lawyer and former classmate of President Obama’s, said, “The people of Pakistan are psychologically ready for a revolution.”

2.  Across the border, a US platoon ambushes some Taliban fighters.  Vivid. 

3.  A pre-packaged bankruptcy of General Motors is fraught with uncertainty.

4  From the WSJ, Hayden and Mukasey defend Evil BushCo on torture. Obama just weakened a country today.

[end of thread]

Comments

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Obama just weakened a country today.

Surprise.

[Strawman Cometh]

fixed the bankruptcy link LUN (I need to get a life)

[verner]

I sure hope we've planned on a way of relieving PAK of it's nukes in case of Taliban takeover.

But with the bower in chief, I doubt it.

[Cecil Turner]

Two things leap out: 1) lose Pakistan, lose Afghanistan (through which our only supply lines run); 2) Nuclear proliferation ('nuff said).

[rse]

The rest of the world may love to bash us as cowboys but they rely on us to keep them safe as well.

The vital information foregone from this unwise and unnecessary release could be about an overseas target.

Obama just weakened the world's security today.

What a tragedy this administration is proving to be!!!

[PDinDetroit]

Big Employer-Sponsored Employee Walk-Out Planned at GM for Monday...

[clarice]

You sure know how to cheer me up, TM.

[Uncle BigBad]

PD

Please explain!!!

[PDinDetroit]

Sorry, missed the LUN for the Monday Job Cuts...

[PDinDetroit]

BigBad - From what I know, GM HR has scheduled 1-2 Conference Rooms on Every Floor of the GM Towers at the RenCen/GM World Headquarters (4 Towers of 40 Floors Each, not all occupied by GM Personnel). Apart from the fact that these are all White-Collar Jobs, how many will be shed is pure speculation at this point.

I am seriously considering taking the day off or working off-site on Monday, it will not be pretty...

[glenda]

#4. is the center, here--If we are willing to put our soldiers, our country in danger, all the others are bound to happen.
I'm thinking some of our island $ needs to go to some land in Texas! We do have many natural resources, and our economy is larger than most countries...my home is open to our new "underground railroad" that is going to be necessary, it seems, to get out from under the yoke of Obama's oppressive policies! It's quite ironic, really!

[Soylent Red]

From the NYT @ #2:

The fighter had only been pretending to be dead, the soldiers said. He lunged for Sergeant Reese, who stabbed him in the left eye.

Woot! Because God loves the Infantry, Queen of Battle.

[clarice]

PD, I've got my fingers crossed for you.

[bad]

PDinDetroit, has there been any info leaked on possible severance packages?

[Ignatz]

Wonder what Pakistan would now look like had we gone into Afghanistan only to kill as many Al Qaeda as possible and then withdrawn, except for special forces, air and drone strikes, essentially reversing the present situation.
If it led to a more stable Pakistan and a less stable Afghanistan, seems like a decent tradeoff, since the Afghanis ought to have nukes in slightly less than 1000 years.
Moot point now of course.

[PDinDetroit]

Thanks Clarice, but I am not a GM Employee and am probably OK at this point (in God's hands anyways). It is just tough to watch what I know must occur...

That 12.6% Unemployment Rate here in MI is about to grow a little bit real soon. I say it will be 14.6-16.1% by June 1st.

Although I do not have statistics on it, I do know that crime is on the rise in the Metro Detroit Area, especially near major malls and stores where theft is easier to get away with. The Local County Sheriff's office is busier than ever...

[PDinDetroit]

Bad - no, it has been unusually quiet from all the departments that would normally know what is going on. They are very tight-lipped about it, although it was expected prior to May 1st that a let-go was coming.

[matt]

change you can believe in.....say bye bye to Pakistan if this continuies a few more months.

Then again, if we can change the rules of engagement, there's plenty of opportunity for the B-52's and drones to do their jobs in the Northwest territories.Rule #1 has to be "no safe havens". Evil has emanated from there for long enough.

[clarice]

Wellm we're in luck. If you recall, during the campaign O said he'd bomb Pakistan if they didn't cooperate and you know he'd never go back on his campaign promises.

[PDinDetroit]

O also said he wouldn't torture either and look how long that lasted! It is TORTURE every time he is speaking to the American People on TV, which is just about every day.

[Soylent Red]

Ignatz:

Possibly Afghanistan would be a nightmare and Pakistan would be stable. But I doubt it.

The Durand Line exists only on western maps, and NWFP has been a problem child for Pakistan long before Afghan Pashtuns started coming over for safe haven. Don't forget the Haqqanis and groups like them are home grown in Pakistan and constitute a fair chunk of the cross border violence.

The real problem is that Pashtunistan has been poisoned by Saudi-financed Wahabbist madrassas going back to the late 1970s.

[bad]

The Taliban’s ability to exploit class divisions ..... Mahboob Mahmood, a Pakistani-American lawyer and former classmate of President Obama’s, said, “The people of Pakistan are psychologically ready for a revolution.”

O must be so disappointed. He followed the Taliban prescription for a revolution and ended up with Tea Parties instead.

Sometimes it just SUCKS to be president....

[rse]

If anyone wants a little levity on this Friday afternoon, Iowahawk has a new post - "Red Scare".

It's hysterical and something to share with any teenager who complains about teachers who don't understand why more government isn't always better.

There's definitely some wonderful satire being written these days.

[daddy]

Another country was weakened today as well---Link.">http://www.adn.com/money/industries/oil/story/762894.html">Link.

[PDinDetroit]

Daddy - I just knew I would see something in there about Global Warming. Sheez, these idiots are nothing if not predictable...

[rse]

Daddy-

What a tragedy. We took the kids to Alaska several years ago and did Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks.

I remember the frustrations once we went inland that Alaska was a state with tremendous natural resources. Yet out of state idealogues who had never visited wanted to limit the economy and treat Alaska like a theme park.

[Soylent Red]

like a theme park

Six Flags Over "Damn It's Cold!"

[rse]

Oh, that was excellent!!

[PDinDetroit]

and the Ice Slide Ride just goes on and on and on...

[davod]

It is not a bankruptcy. It is a government sponsored reorganization. Where the u8nions get to keep all their benefits (That's what thye 76 billion is for).

[davod]

The Alasakans should be worried that the lower 48 might give it back to Russia as a CO2 offset.

[narciso]

Let's be clear, Flynn, our country has been weakened, other countries with oil reserves
have been strengthened, at least in relative
terms.One could appeal to the Supremes but that would still involve getting Kennedy to flip how likely is that.

[matt]

This just in from the Department of Justice and Ice Cream Cones for Opponents In Contingency Operations in Countries Ending with "Stan" or the letter Q or which have people who wear strange headgear.

The following actions shall be considered torture and are forbidden by the new Global Court of Concerned Spanish Prosecutors:

. Fingernails scratching across blackboards
. Repetitive playing of any Abba song.
. slide shows of family vacations or
holidays.
. Sylvester Stallone movies (all).
. Three Stooges marathons
. Placing detainees in a room with
university accounting instructors.
. Anything involving Barney Frank, Maxine
Waters, or Henry Waxman.

[Soylent Red]

Narciso:

One could simply do it, claim 10th Amendment gives Fed no jurisdiction, and dare them to stop you.

Remember, the two largest oil producing states right now are Alaska and Texas. Both places already almost view themselves as another country.

And they don't necessarily have to put that oil into the pipeline, or even sell it in the US. Wouldn't it be a hell of a thing if the state of Alaska negotiated development and marketing deals with Gazprom?

[bad]

Texas has gas refineries, too.

[daddy]

The country is crazy.

The Federal Government, the Environmentalists and the Courts have so effectively tied up our Alaskan Industries of Drilling/Mining/Timber and Fishing, that Ted Steven's has to resort to bringing in Federal PorkBarrel Funding money to employ Alaskan's, such as the Bridge to Nowhere, etc. and he is damned for that.

Then the Obama Administration tries to force us to accept many times what Ted Steven's was seeking in Federal PorkBarrel Spending, and when Sarah refuses some of the money, she is damned her for that.

And all the while DC Judges, 4,000 miles distant, continue to tie the States hands with Gordian Knots of Environmental Legislation.

With the big exception of Clarice and Jane, I'm with Shakespeare: "First thing we do, we kill all the Lawyers."

[bad]

I want to save TC and DoT, as well.

[bad]

When did Strata-sphere decide he was no longer a conservative?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Placing detainees in a room with university accounting instructors.

I actually really enjoyed my accounting classes.

[Porchlight]

rse,

Damn, that was first class Iowahawk. Thanks for the heads up. Hope you don't mind if I throw out the link:

Iowahawk: Red Scare!

[narciso]

It's a good thing, Iowahawk's on our side, I really liked my graduate accounting
classes, depends on the instructor I guess.
So you're suggesting 10th Amendment defense
as an executive order. That would really be considered 'going rogue'

[PeterUK]

"Remember, the two largest oil producing states right now are Alaska and Texas. Both places already almost view themselves as another country."

Why not try,to paraphrase,"No legislation without representation"?

[Soylent Red]

Lemme ask you narciso...

If either governor, or the governor of Hawaii for that matter, decided that now was the time to force Big Fed's hand, do you really think Bambi has the stones to stop them?

Does anyone else see the irony of a guy who likes to fashion himself as another Lincoln, precipitating another civil war?

Or, if you will, War of Washington, DC Aggression.

[Jane]

Daddy,

I'm so sorry.

I just don't know what this world is coming to.

[PeterUK]

"Does anyone else see the irony of a guy who likes to fashion himself as another Lincoln, precipitating another civil war?"

Or more likely,what he is there for,precipitating the break up of the Union.

[Ann]

bad, I believe Strata went over the bend during the immigration debate/fiasco.

Does anyone remember who wrote an article on the tragic first 50 days of Obama?

[PeterUK]

The lights are going out.

[matt]

it wasn't really a dig at accounting professors/instructors, but more the Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off kind of droning teachers that many of us have had at one time or 'tother.

weni, widi, wichi.....

Peter, The Union is still strong, but I have to believe there are politicians in DC going "oh shit" and getting a bit worried now.

[bad]

Not to worry!! O's a uniter. Hope and change...

[narciso]

I think there is certainly a confrontation of sorts, telegraphed like a chess match, with the DHS memo, basically dissing her base, (veteran, Christian, Republican)with the response from the Tea Parties, a truce of sorts at the Interior Secretaryhearings,
with the forcing down of the Atty Gen. nominee, all leading to a barn burner of a speech where the Akhanitsa, suggested she would not be a shrinking violet on a series
of issues of defense to life, to the resources of "God's Country". Would they try to impeach her, if she pulled such a defense, or have her arrested. Who knows, but it's interesting speculation,

[clarice]

Say Happy Birthday to your mom from me, narciso.
Gosh, if Alaska hadn't joined the union everyone there'd be rolling in dough right now.

[clarice]

Iowahawk also does a number on Jane Hamsher:
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2009/04/the-mary-hamsher-moore-show.html>Hamsher

[Daddy]

Since I'm ranting, 2 points to finish, before I read Iowahawk and cheer myself up.

1) Last week Prop 9, our Property Tax Cap, was passed by Anchorage voters, 60-40 percent, in the face of negative ADN Op-ed's and carping Dem politician's. Today the acting Left Wing Mayor proposed to immediately raise the Property Tax Mil Rate to the highest our new Prop 9 initiative will allow, before the Mayoral Runnoff election is held in 2 weeks which will probably give us a fiscally Conservative Mayor who probably has other plans than immediately hosing home owners.

2) A Begich Spokesperson was on a local Talk Show late this afternoon discussing the Courts Decision to shut down Off Shore and North Slope Drilling due to environmental Lawsuits. The spokesperson said this lawsuit was brought back before Begich was elected, so at a time when we had 2 Republican Senators, and it looked likely that that would continue. She and the Host then discussed how Alaskan's were now lucky to have Dem Senator Begich in power, because since he is essentially allied with the environmental lefties in The North Slope Burrough that brought the law suit in the first place, that he might now use his influence to somehow have them not force or carry through with the lawsuit, so that Drilling might be allowed to commence and then we would all have Dem Senator Mark Begich to thank for rescuing Alaska. I'm not making this up.

I am stunned at the opportunistic cynicism I am seeing. This tells me that they don't give a damn about the environment, but instead care only about harming the Alaskan Economy when its under Republican watch. But gee, now that Begich is in there, maybe we don't really care about them there Polar Bears all that much.

Way too early for a beer but I'm having one anyway. Argggh.

[JM Hanes]

"Placing detainees in a room with university accounting instructors."

Better:
Placing detainees in a room with university sociology instructors.

Best:
Placing detainees in a room with anyone in an Ivy League Women's Studies Department.

[clarice]

Geez,jmh, you are a sadist.

[narciso]

Thanks Clarice, I'll be sure to tell her. JM I had a high school sociology teacher, who could have led to time travel time didn't just slow down, it came to a halt, following general relativity principles, it all depends on the subject matter, like I said some people can make accounting seem interesting Ben Stein's sheepish mien in Ferris Bueller suggests that stereotype.

Flynn, that shows not only cynicism but ignorance of what they are trying to do,
the m.o of Chu and Holdren, and Browner
and Salazar, sadly, is not about oil development, but suppression of same, I don't know about this Begich character but he doesn't inspire feelings of confidence.

[Ann]

Narciso,

Please give your mom a big JOM "Happy Birthday!". Tell her she did a great job and we are all beneficiaries of it.

[narciso]

Thanks Ann, I'll be sure to tell her

[MayBee]

Feliz cumpleanos, Madre de narciso! (employing 9th grade Spanish today)

How many lefty bloggers are decrying the impending loss of GM jobs? Or is it only UAW jobs we/they care about?

[PD]

Does anyone else see the irony of a guy who likes to fashion himself as another Lincoln, precipitating another civil war?

He's already trying to put us all in slavery to the government.

Of course, he has help:

Today's Democrats: Working to Enslave You

[narciso]

Gracias Maybee

[glasater]

The writers at Asia Times sometimes seem a little off the wall on occasion but there is an article on a drone stirring up a hornet's nest over in Pakistan.

But the stunning news--to me anyway--was the fact that Spengler is revealed!!

Clarice~
You really had a bead on him because he mentions in the article he did a stint in the bowels of the NSA during the Reagan years.

[davod]

"Does anyone else see the irony of a guy who likes to fashion himself as another Lincoln, precipitating another civil war?
He's already trying to put us all in slavery to the government. Of course, he has help:Today's Democrats: Working to Enslave You"

More racist talk.

There is only one form of valid slavery - the slavery perpetrated in the USA until after the civil war.

[unseen]

So the taliban are using the same gameplan that the dems used to get the election in 2008...class warfare...sweet The same gameplan Lenin and Hitler used...

It would be nice if our media were educated enough to see the connections of why class warfare is a bad thing for the general population....