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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JD who wrote (46374)	6/2/2004 12:17:44 AM
From: arun gera	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50167

Look at India. There are enough illiterate who vote. Illiterate does not mean "stupid". Illiterate does not mean they don't have language skills. Many illiterates can communicate very well - they just can't put it in writing. >Just a quick question for you....The majority of Pakistanis are illiterate. How can one communicate (via voting) their maturity and 'good sense' when one does not know how to read or write??>

To: JD who wrote (46374)	6/2/2004 2:43:40 AM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

<, the poor host of this thread is choking on dust while he is trying to create jobs and wealth with the opening of his new business in Peshawar. But it does seem to me that he just might have a closer view of the reality of Pakistan. > It is an honor all-be-it very small, we do make a difference and that small little step the practicality of my thought process is the essence of this thread, this is what it is all about. Life is about connection of thought with that small little step to do something, luckily I am infused with the spirit to work my thoughts and my priorities are very defined. One cannot live with peace, if one multiplies and sees his image more than life size, many a souls self degenerate and burn if the ability to withdraw is not there, the best thing about me I know is realisation of 'limitation of my size' and I do not have an 'exaggerated sense' of my own personality that gives me ability to withdraw from mind games, I am a practical man and for me doing something about something is what life is all about. Idea thread for me is my open life and an open book. I would have rather put a bullet in my head than to live a life as a nameless, disgraceful person challenging medievalists, they know my business, they know my position all that needs heart and this is what all this is about 'ideological valour' at its prime, a battle of wits with my tormentors here in this country, it is not about masturbation of thought, yes - it was when I use to deal with the markets.ggg I enjoy that I have done my share with greatest honor, however I also know how small this corner this and how little this effort is..

To: JD who wrote (46374)	6/2/2004 10:26:12 AM
From: malibuca	Respond to of 50167

Please search throughout history and around the world and show me any democracy that survived with a greater than 50% illiteracy rate... I would assume given the context of your comments that you are inquiring about adult literacy. Given the geographical proximity and cultural commonalities, the best example to cite is India. India has an adult literacy rate of about 50% according to published statistics – though I have seen it reported as somewhat higher. I think that the difference is probably a function of the year when the statistics were gathered as well as the cut-off age for adulthood. overpopulation.com However what is more significant is that India which has been a democracy for almost its entire history since its independence in the 1940s’ had an adult literacy rate of just 16% in 1951 and one can reasonably make the assumption that the rate has been well below 50% for much of its independent history. The literacy rate in India, therefore, increased only from 16.67 per cent in 1951 to 24.02 percent in 1961. col.org The country's literacy rate in 1947 was only 14 percent and female literacy was abysmally low at 8 per cent. meadev.nic.in Although, I have responded to your question, IMO, there is no direct correlation between the literacy rate of a country and its adherence to democratic norms. If you contrast India and Pakistan, the former is less homogenous than the latter in some respects but what makes the difference IMO, is that the latter has had a history of its armed forces choosing to be involved in the political process. A government cannot stay in power in Pakistan unless it has, at the least, the tacit support of the army. This is in marked contrast to India where the army prides itself in staying above the political fray. As I stated in another post, the armed forces of Pakistan flaunt some of the more superficial customs that they inherited from the British army but when it comes to issues of substance such as being apolitical, the army discards British traditions.

To: JD who wrote (46374)	6/2/2004 10:51:55 AM
From: malibuca	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

The sad truth is that even in this internet age, the only way to know the thoughts of the illiterate majority is to be close enough to hear them speak. I cannot...you cannot. First, let me say that my knowledge of Pakistan is more than what is gleaned from the internet. Without going into specifics, I have visited Pakistan on numerous occasions and am headed there, again, later this month. The host of this thread doubtless spends more time than I do in Pakistan but I also have frequent communications with contacts there who are at least as well informed as Mr. Latif – if not more so. I assure you that the opinions expressed by the host of this thread on a variety of issues that pertain to Pakistan, the US, Iraq and the war against terrorism, by no means represent mainstream views within Pakistan. In fact, some the views that the host espouses are that of a fringe element in Pakistan. Based on my exposure to Pakistan, the knowledge that the affluent class in that country has about the life of the less privileged (illiterate?) members of the population is almost inconsequential. They live in two different worlds for all intents and purposes! My objection to what the host of the thread posts is that it is a totally one-sided view of what is going on in his country. He misleads readers of this thread on a whole range of subjects pertaining to his country. The misleading posts range from the war against terrorism, the support that fundamentalists have in his country, nuclear proliferation, the double-speak by Musharraf, the lack of religious tolerance in his country, etc. The header for this thread states: The limitations of geography that has hampered generations of Americans and their insular instincts have encouraged the host of this thread to highlight the challenges and opportunities that this huge area represents. I invite those who are interested in global peace and security to exchange views and news from these forgotten lands which have now become for foreseeable future the area that will make or break mankind’s new tryst with new promising frontiers. Any attempt to seriously engage the host results in his going into a huff if one takes a position that challenges what he writes. When all else fails, he then resorts to irrelevant arguments such as not responding to posters who use pseudonyms and not their real names.