Editorials |
Wake-up call
Sophistication is a relative term. Graver become challenges of technology as we claim advancement. The case in point is the Richter scale 9 magnitude earthquake along the coast of Japan triggering a chain of disasters. Notwithstanding, the Japanese excellence in technological sophistication, the disaster response and recovery systems have fallen far short of the promised.
Japan’s preparedness for high magnitude earthquake did prove near-perfect from human and engineering perspectives but the nuclear reactors failed to withstand the seismic activity.
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The ‘third’ front
Conditions are enticing enough for the world powers to abandon war-torn Afghanistan once more. It’s time for America to lead its western allies in Libya. Events following Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan diverted the attention of United States and other major powers to disintegrating Communist superpower and its orbit of influence in Eastern Europe. The Taliban-controlled Afghanistan returned to the world media headlines in 1998 with US warships firing Cruise Missile on suspected hideouts of Osama bin Laden.
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Is anyone there!
Undoubtedly, 2010 was the year of donor fatigue. It started off with mega-quake in January razing everything from the Haitian presidential palace to shanty towns. The human death toll soared to 0.2 million.
In February, Chilean earthquake did not cause much loss of lives but generated tsunami ringing alarm bells up to sun-kissed Hawaiian beaches.
The century’s worst flooding crippled life in Pakistan, affecting 20 million people. Meanwhile, the planet earth again shook terribly hard, sending deadly tremors to Christchurch in New Zealand.
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In God we trust?
Though the Obama administration has retired the Bush-era phrase of Global War on Terrorism, yet a more urgent fight against stereotyping is yet to be launched.
"I want (Americans) to realize the extent to which Al-Qaeda is attempting to radicalize within the Muslim-American community," Peter King, the Republican who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, told Congress as quoted by the Agence France-Presse.
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The neo-netizens
Dawn of January 1 was no different than dozens others since 1989 when the world witnessed revolts with disintegrating Soviet Union. The year 2011 was evidently predicted for newer signs of climatic disorders, economic tweaking within G-20 and status quo for occupied lands like Palestine, Iraq, Kashmir and Afghanistan.
Soon a tide was brewing in torpid political waters of Tunisia and Egypt. The world could hardly notice Mohammed Bouazizi's self-immolation in the central Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid that Ben Ali was unceremoniously air borne.
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Leave sports to players!
Amid layers of bitter differences and the underlying risk of nuclear war outbreak, 1.7 billion in South Asia, including Pakistan and India, remain united by cricket, a British colonial-era sport. But as the Cricket World Cup 2011 begins, might extremism soon destroy this sporting bond?
More than a dozen nations are taking part in the World Cup, held in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with the final of mega scheduled for April 2 at the Wankhede Stadium in the Indian metropolis of Mumbai. It is an opportunity for publicity which India's Hindu nationalist politicians are seeking to exploit.
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