something i'm confused about: is the president a thief, or perhaps the whole government of pakistan, which we are supporting with billions of dollars, a  kleptocracy? or not? i've read rumors or claims that asif ali zardari has a bilion dollars or more stashed in swiss banks. meanwhile, his wife benazir bhutto has been turned into a saint or martyr of democracy. so: is he or is he not stripping the country to enrich himself, as his people starve and die? i really haven't seen any reasonable or informed assessment.

now if he is, it is just hopeless to go on supporting him. the first factor is that the support just ends up in the accounts of zardari and his ministers. the second is that the extreme corruption is exactly why the taliban is attractive. i too could be tempted by rigid religious fanatics in a case where my country is being run into the ground by greed-soaked decadent hedonists. well, the same goes for karzai in afghanistan, and the corruption there was key in the taliban victory over the russkies.

it's good to oppose or try to destroy the suicide-bombing evil fanatics. but you'd better think about what alternative you're constructing, because if you don't you will drop a trillion dollars and not only contribute to the fleecing and oppression of the populations, but lose. and deserve to lose.