Ahmed Rashid on The Daily Show

The Pakistani journalist tries to explain to Jon Stewart the convoluted relationship between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US, complicated by the differences between the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistan Taliban. Short version: The situation in Afghanistan became a mess as soon as the US shifted its attention to Iraq without first building decent infrastructure in Afghanistan, and it is now time to leave. [Read more…]

Penguins

Today is April Fools day. I am not a fan of practical jokes on any day including this one. I especially do not understand why news organizations that depend upon their credibility for their very existence, would carry them out. But having said that, I will give a pass to the following prank pulled by the BBC in 2008, because it is so beautifully done and leaves you smiling even after you realize that you have had your leg pulled. [Read more…]

The 2012 election dilemma

Andy Borowitz points out how a presidential contest between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney is going to pose an agonizing problem for bigots., saying “Across the U.S., voters who describe themselves as bigots are complaining that a first-ever matchup between a Black man and a Mormon, while historic, is forcing them to ask a difficult question: which group do they hate more?”

Although Borowitz is a humorist, I think this will actually be a real problem for some bigots, except for that subset of them who are also nutcases and think that Obama is a Muslim. Then it becomes an easy choice in favor of Romney.