Re: Proud Pakistani?
Fraudia, I don't know any of you personally. The comment was specifically the way this website is run. You and most of the owners of this website know my views and this discussions has happened at various times. But frankly the fact that this website has in the past what 8 years allowed comments that openly call for the disintegration of the country, killing of innocent Pakistanis and much much worse, is what I base my comments on.
Nationalism or being a Proud Pakistani is not about logic. If it is a logical decision, it isn't patriotism. The fact was that this website advertised itself as a Pakistani site yet openly held discussions on when and where Pakistan would disintegrate is repulsive to those of us who are patriotic.
Second paragraph - where do I get this? Real life experience with Americans. Making fun of the south or mockery is like mocking Pathans or making fun of Sikhs. It is a joke. However you ever see an American speak about how the country should disintegrate? Or rip into the basic foundations of the country? You see an American insult the founding fathers or make a mockery out of their sacrifice? I haven't. Yet I have seen all this on this very Proud Pakistani website.
Regarding the Govt of India. I am sorry but the common man does not define politics or government policy. A very small few elite do. You can easily see that with Bush's re-election and the power of the people during the Vietnam war. How many presidents did that last? 3? Yeah that shows real power.
Regarding third generation Pakistanis and Indias, they are just that third generation. They are expats. They are more western than Pakistani. They have no clue what happens in reality save for the baised news sources they read.
Now hating India or Indians. The issue is not hate. But rather the very realistic notion based on real life and not class room ideals that Pakistan and India will not have peace. The fact that you don't live in Pakistan, have a very limited view point of what goes on in the subcontinent and get information from sources which are not local just compounds your inability to have a realistic assesment of the situation. Peace would be great in an ideal world. Reality is very different.
Chavy you may wish to do a search in the Pakistan Affairs forum regarding trade with India. It is a rather simple issue of trade creation and trade diversion. Most economists including Indian economists state that free trade in South Asia will destory Pakistan's, Bangladesh Sri Lanka etc. economies. There is no benefit for Pakistan. Rather its all for India. Feel free to do the search - I have posted all the economic data and papers in those threads.
Lastly one is not questioning the level of patriotism and nationalistic feelings you lot have. One is simply pointing out that some of you are expat-Pakistanis. Which is a fact. You can't change that. The second point is that you don't live in the country. Which is again a fact.
Thirdly you spend a few months out of a couple of years there and thus don't have a full grasp of the situation on the ground. That again is reality. I have already illustrated why being in a location and living there is far more important than school book ideals.
You can define yourself as Pakistanis. That is your choice. You can be proud of your heritage. Again your choice. But your ideas and notions of Pakistan are skewed and your opinions regarding Pakistan are based on ideals and theories and not on reality.