I could be wrong (wouldn’t be the first time, nor the last), but it seems to me that YOU’re the ‘open source’ (as are the rest of us) that Chris, Brendan, Katherine, (and their newbie interns) name in the show’s title.

Brendan? (I KNOW you’re reading this!) Is this so, or am I mistaken (yet again)?

As for some points raised in the discussion, I would agree with Syed that the “Mysterious East” approach should be a thing of the past. I might suggest that it seems more mysterious that an “informed” US public (not one brainwashed in Islamic schools!) and many of their checked and balanced political representatives rapidly endorsed an illegal war in Iraq with little debate just because the president got on the TV and talked tough. Oops! Sorry for the Occidentalism. Also, Umkumar suggests that the “whole issue of Pakistan is complex.” I thought Pakistan was a country, a society, a diaspora, part of the global political economy, etc.; not an issue to be discussed and wrapped up in some nice box.

I recommend listening to the clip above of blogger Omer Alvie. I followed the link to his web site where to my astonishment he has issued a long apology about it having to do with his shortcomings that I could not detect. Apparently the interview went on for an hour but here we have only a few minutes of it which are very worthwhile. We need more such bridges,

The exchange above between Shaman and Syed from this summer is good.

If Pakistanis do not hate us only our government’s foreign policy, then they are not holding us accountable for putting our government in office. Do they understand the imperfections of our system or are they judging us on the imperfections of their own? It always amazes me to hear how others like us but hate our government.

Perhaps If they hated us all more it might be better for us ( we would care more, ask more questions). Remember after 9/11 all those questions that were being asked and answered, “Why Do They Hate Us?” and serious articles about “empire”, in the media? Gone.

One thing I have to say is that Christine Fair keeps complimenting Hussain Haqqani, but the one thing that jumped out of listening to the show is her grasp and clarity on Pakistan and its society and politics. Kudos! In particular:

Ms. Fair’s point about how many sitting members of the National Assembly are US citizens and Green Card holders needs investigating. Maybe we can put a list together at WikiPakistan [http://Pakistan.WikiCities.com], for example….

“Opposition of choice”. Love the phrase Ms. Fair uses for the “Islamists”.

Shge even brang up the Uighurs and China. That’s actually one thing I’d like to hear more details about how that plays out in the region. Or is that too arcane an issue?

On other issues:

One thing most Pakistanis and people in the diaspora don’t realize that Musharraf has appointed a former head of the country’s major intelligence agency to head a re-write of educational curriculums. I mean, even if you love the ISI and intelligence agencies, what kind of citizen wants an intelligence agency-type person guide curriculums?

On Omar Alvie: “You don’t expect it to happen.” Huh? What? Hasn’t this happened before? Come on! Let’s keep it real here, huh?

His point about the role of government and about America is a necessary point. And bears saying. Good choice on who to quote, there, Chris and team.

Great program! Wow, that went fast!!

Good description of FATA’s legal status by Ms. Fair.

The back story in support for extremist “Islamists” is that BOTH the Pakistani and the American governments backed those extremists during the Soviet period. I mean, come on! Gulbuddin Hekmatyar already had a record of throwing acid in unveiled female faces.

About puppet regimes, everyone’s been trying to put puppet regimes in that region going back to the Soviets, the Americans, the British…dare I go back further?