Why Did It Take So Long to Find Bin Laden?

Thanks a lot for your visit sheilanewton. I think now in all democratic countries people are worried what kind of games our politicians, administrators, spies (one can include even some professional journalists from main stream media and press) play.

Actually more worrying is that now it seems some of the decisions are forced by corruption among them, it does not matter who or which parties rules.

Thanks a lot teaches12345 for the visit! Yes I also feel some politicians along with some media-press top people do feel that they are the ruling class. Actually it is time I think democratic countries start looking back at what they are doing.

What exactly democracy should mean? I think one aspect which is never talked about as important ingredient but that has been the main pillar of whole edifice of democracy is the maintenance of a minimal life style for family of every working person. In USA and Western Europe this aspect minimal level was reached to quite a bit extent, a few years after world war and then was maintained as an unwritten code. All secotrs played role in that part. Government, large corporate, media, universities etc. There was a socialism while all the countries who called themselves socialist (communists blocks) or even democracies like India (which had socialism as a slogan but no sector politicians, rulers, corporate sector had anytime intention of actually providing it) never had this minimal level.

This balance has been lost in last few years. That should really be a measure of democracy (a minimal life style includes not just salaries but all infra structure in the cities, freedom to express, proper law and order, safety and many other things). Now while no one talks about this aspect people are making democratic other ideas just as slogans - elections, parties, this or that. In India there is an ancient saying "bhukhe pet bhajan hoye na goapala (with empty stomach one can not concentrate on payer to all mighty)".

With this main pillar missing people are feeling insecure. They are worried about their long term future. They are worried about personal security with terrorism spreading, but rulers, politicians, corporate are lost in getting in and out quagmires I described or are forced to be lost in them. It seems they do not mind using even their soldiers and average person as pawn in their games, thinking about culture of a minimal life style now it seems does not even occur to them.

Thanks a lot MG for appreciation. Yes how to wake up India government agencies is indeed the big puzzle. Will they ever. My hope is more on younger generation, may be some more realistic people better managers get elected to our parliaments and assemblies and political parties are forced by election commissions and courts to get rid of feudal style of management by one family or person (these families just now behave as if they own the party in some of these type of parties).

Hi! Singh

Thanks for the visit and comment. I quite agree with you, I think most people in India Europe, USA will also agree with you. Even after understanding that by supporting army top and feudal lords in Pakistan they have now created a uncontrolled monster, and they are in a quagmire situation, they seem to be unable to put their act together and try to get out of this quagmire. I feel one main reason must be corruption generated over the years in American system, out of financial and arm support etc. they provide to Pakistan. That has become powerful enough to not easily allow themselves getting out of it.

But why just talk about USA, is our country any different. We seem to be in much deeper quagmire with the grace of our ruling parties, mainly Congress. In our country not many even talk about it.We are not ready to take even simple measures like putting some control on terror money going to Pakistan and reaching people in our country. USA at least tries that.

Hi! smithroyal

I agree with you. How can this be linked to votes. Actually Supreme court has ruled two times and over ruled all petitions. Still government is just dilly delaying by using a false excuse that mercy petition is waiting with president. It does not mean any thing. President is supposed to recommend what ever government recommends. So essentially it is the government which is not acting- really speaking it is not even the government, since all actions of prime minister show that he does not do any thing without consent of Congress president. So virtually with all checks of democracy we are stuck in a feudal system (in Center as well as many states) where one person or family running the party in a feudal manner has all the powers.

I think it is this situation which requires a change. Actions should be taken by election commission and supreme court. For example they should declare that parties have to function in similar democratic traditions as the country. A person can not be president of the party for more than 8 -10 years (BJP is one of few parties which follows such restrictions, communists also have some mechanism but others have practically nothing) and election commissions can force parties to have elections regularly and have proper constitution and follow it. All this can be done under present constitutional mechanisms only. Look at USA how slowly they must have evolved system of primary elections. We do not need that complicated system, our system is much less centralized. But I have rarely seen even so called intellectuals or constitutional experts arguing for such measures.

Hi! smithroyal

Thanks for your comment. Quite agree with you. We have to fight with attitudes of political parties in India currently running the government. The ruling party in India just now Congress and its supporters are very feudal and communal - almost supporting terrorists with their very weak attitudes towards terrorism spread mainly by army top etc. from Pakistan.

Hi! athul

Thanks a lot for the visit. Yes American administration indeed seem to be lost in such quagmires. Though quite understandable phenomena, it looks like some decision makers in USA just enjoy USA being kept lost in such quagmires. What must be the reason. Corruption is one possible explanation.

Hi Micky

Interesting comments! Though I am not sure hate is a right expression to be used. I feel some times this word "hate" is used a little too much in USA and it affects over all thinking - sort of moves it to not so much in right direction. Specially a person like you, I doubt really hates any one. You are just saying it.

Just take the example of Geronimo and as you mention his skull being in that strange association Skull and Bones. According to gossips it may be controlling CIA. Do you really think things can be so simplistic in that political world of influential ones. Should there not be hundreds of such organizations trying to control?

Let us look at Geronimo. His whole family was killed one day he found out. He fought many wars after that. But did he really hate people of that time who were involved in killings of his tribe? I am not so sure. A person like him with so much knowledge and bravery if he hated them, do you think he would have surrendered?

Even in his surrender deal it seems he was cheated but you do not see much hate in his behavior even afterwords. He learnt a lot about Western ideas also.

I find his earlier life quite interesting. According to one account he could see very far distance and future events (like it is reported that he saw sitting in a cafe miles away that his base camp has been attacked and that some body will tell him this, when he tries to return back next day). Such skills it seems some people do have. The art of learning such skills is practically lost. These ideas do not match with our basic techniques used to analyze any event (scientific style of today). But it will be quite unscientific to discard them as not possible just because of that. It will be much more interesting to find out more about his such skills and how they were learnt and developed in those days.

Hating CIA or Bones and Skull types does not really help much, infact adds to difficulties we face in today's society. Problem with this hating is where do you stop. Why for example only stop at CIA or associations of rich lawyers, Pakistani agency ISI, army is much directly involved in many killings and a lot of destruction today. So are many others. Just start adding to your list and very soon it will become practically infinite.

I feel rather than hating it may be more interesting to accept world as it is with all its complexities and defects. Trying to reform what ever little one can rather than feeling of destroying or feeling of hate may be better idea. This is not just my feeling (also of ancient guys - remember my article "truth- what it is"?), it is also yours. After all you always talk about golden rule.

Thanks for the visit OpinionDuck. How does the time matter? Bin Laden was just an image. Game was being played by those who made this image and later some of them started fighting it. Is it not true that the main players army top and feudal lords in Pakistan, those in Saudi Arabia and spy agencies and rulers (it does not matter they go on changing) in USA, all are playing double game. There seems to be no intention by any one of them to leave this muddy and murky style, even though with each such jolt, each of them looks weaker and more helpless. Rather than past I worry about future!

Yes it is indeed worrying. Many from Pakistan and some Muslims from other countries behave in this strange way. Though place where I live in Mumbai, there are many shops owned by Muslims and taxis are mostly run by them. Most of these people are just like any body else, worrying about their own sale, trying to give good service, worrying about their children's education etc. Many of them are very rich also.

I think this attitude has more in style of their upbringing. In Pakistan, it seems right from beginning in all schools they are taught extremely negatively about every thing else except Muslims ideas, often even Muslim may mean only some particular sect (specially negative includes Indian and Western life style, thinking, people etc.). Many articles from Pakistani writers linked above also say exactly this.

To some extent this attitude was there in Pakistan right from beginning in 1947- even a few years before while struggle for Independence in India was going on. But it has increased enormously since 80's.

Taking seriously sermons of uneducated preachers every Friday is another explosive (such preachers are mainly interested in attracting more crowd so that they can earn more or get money from feudal rulers or army top from Pakistan Saudi Arabia etc. - who use spread of extreme attitude via them as a tool to keep their hold on power and to get rich by investing in economically better of countries. Are such tricks not being used by them even in countries like India or UK?)

In general many Muslims and specially from Pakistan etc. have attitude always to bring in religion and generate a false sentiment, as if they are being discriminated to get their unreasonable and often extreme demands accepted. Many so called liberals (how a person supporting an extreme unreasonable attitude can be called liberal? but that is how they are identified) in countries like India, UK, USA willingly allow themselves to be used as a tool by these extremists, that is also one of the main reason that such extremists from Muslims get away with almost every thing like support for terrorism, violence, anti-woman attitude, sex money etc. These are not liberals who form majority in countries like UK, USA or India (I think in all these countries it does not matter which party people support over all attitude of most is quite liberal). These "so called liberal class" (in India term pseudo-secular is used to describe them) mainly consists of politicians of this type who have an eye on votes of Muslims (average population from majority is equally divided between two parties in most places in India, USA, UK so they find that quick way of winning election is to create extreme attitudes among Muslims and often even average Muslims happily allow it) or anchors from media and press - who worry about TRP ratings (look at one of the news item in Daily Mail link - how BBC wanted a person with a beard in picture) or corrupt corporate who allow themselves to be used as a tool to make money via this attitude and in these countries.

Most of this any way can be stopped, at least in countries like USA, UK, India, Japan etc. if this kind of pseudo-secularism is stopped. But law and order machinery, politicians, media and press, corporate do not seem to be ready for it. After all, even in these countries, we are now becoming used to seeing a Muslim preacher preaching and supporting killing of others, covering of face of a woman with burqua or an anchor showing and justifying a terrorist act or corruption, bribing, rapes etc. in the name of freedom of religion or expression. Should one allow such expressions even in blogs? Can they not be stopped?

But are we doing some thing about it. We seem to be moving in direction of helplessness in the society. Army top feudal rulers in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Iran etc. used these extreme deformities as tool in their countries but now rulers in our countries are also allowing these feudal rulers to use same tools in our society also. Looking at these aspects in an earlier article I wrote about dark ages and wondered that are we moving in that direction?

Hi! Bob

Thanks a lot for the comment. Yes I quite agree. It is in fact a bit worrying. A country like USA has enough economic and armed might and powers to not to get its main policies affected by what autocracies in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China or drug lords in Mexico do. USA politicians and executives plan policies to manipulate them. But it seems to be getting equally other way around. They are getting more and more manipulated by them and often willingly, also some times at the expense of allies and friends of USA. Now it seems they are ready to get even manipulated by likes of Taliban!