Bombs in Pakistan

Too many now, and the country spirals from 'failing' state towards the ever closer, fatalistic label of 'failed' state. Losing its northern provinces, effectively beyond the control of Islamabad, the conflict seems to have taken the proportions of a continuous state of warre - in its purest, hobbesian definition - whereby no-one, nowhere is safe. If the marriott blows up, every building in the country can too. This war seems to be between the government (which, however corrupt, it can be described as 'democratic' and moderate) and extremist religious factions. In fact, in light of the frequency, organisation and effectiveness of the suicidal attacks, most taking the form of manned car-bombs, factions is definitely a euphemism for describing what is essentially a rival armed community, with its deviated code of ethics, its own internal politics, and its own weapons of mass destruction: young, religious and to my eyes fucking naive boys. What is emerging is a state within the state; whether it will manage to engorge pakistan from the inside, to self-digest its political institutions and leave its embryonic democracy in decay, depends on what the real, proud pakistan, the pakistan of the "good people" - whose best members I am lucky enough to call friends - can do to avoid it.

Today was shocking:

here's what the marriott hotel in Islamabad looked like yesterday



Now there's just rubble, dead bodies, broken families, acrid smoke, blood and a massive crater.



If there is one message that this blog wants to send out it's that this is not Religion. Its simple Power Politics, of the most feeble kind.

Should any of the young naive pawns I mentioned venture onto this blog I want to give you my advice: Destroying Pakistan is NOT a cause worth dying for.