Fareedapalooza
Fareed Zakaria was absolutely scathing about the Pakistani army on the Daily Show tonight, saying it’s the only military in the world that needs to be bribed into defending its own country. India is a perfect cold-conflict enemy, he said, just like the USSR was for the U.S.: scary enough to jack up military budgets but not often engaged in an actual shooting war. In contrast, the Taliban provoke real battles, which are difficult, dangerous and much less fun.
Jon Stewart: We gave them 10 billion dollars. What did they do with it?
Zakaria: Used it to prepare to fight a war against India.
Stewart: Did they tell us?
Zakaria: No, they conned us. They snowed us.
Stewart: I had Musharraf right here.
Zakaria: And you served him tea.
Stewart: I served him tea and Twinkies, and two months later he was deposed.
Zakaria: You trusted him, they fooled you…
Stewart wisecracked, ‘You know what this is a perfect time for? India to attack.’ And someone in the audience cheered. Was the Punjabi dhaba crew in the house today, straight up 11th Ave.?
Zakaria’s directness is a reflection of the Obama policy of being more hard-nosed with the Pakistani military than Dubya was, though he hasn’t gone far enough. And I’m guessing Zakaria took 11/26 personally, considering one of the attacks happened right outside his family flat.


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Love the dude, but he totally bombed the swine flu bit. Monkey pox sort of saved it, but not really.
In the early part of this decade, Zakaria was actually hopeful about Musharaff. Like many others, he believed Musharaff’s secular background would help him realize the danger the Taliban posed to Pakistan. But, what Zakaria and others did not see, was just how obsessed the Pakistani military is with India. And that they would let this obsession direct all their policies, including using $10 billion in aid that was supposed to go after the Taliban and repair civic institutions, instead to arm for that ever imminent war with India.
“Zakaria’s directness is a reflection of the Obama policy of being more hard-nosed with the Pakistani military than Dubya was, though he hasn’t gone far enough”
Oh, so Zakaria says something in an interview on a comedy show and it’s a sign of a new get tough with the Pakistani military policy by the Obama administration. I have a feeling that either way, billions will eventually go toward ’stabilizing Pakistan’
Zakaria’s directness is a reflection of his highly developed olfactory sense. And for a guy who grew up in Bombay, all that Pack-istan / Paak-istan business is quite silly.
stewart and zakaria..I reallt missed something good on TV,..
The other day when I heard on news that obama is giving another 7 billion to zardari’s pakistan to strengthen itself I was disappointed with obama..Bush gave 10 billion away and musharif did nothing..During his time taliban got more into pakistan and now has safe havens.. I cannot understand why US keep paying pakistan to stabilise itself with no good results..pakistan is benefiting both ways from US and probably from taliban too..
atleast one good thing is obama is telling zardari not to worry about India but worry about Taliban..
sad state of affairs..