Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Trends US sets for world
It is widely considered to be unbecoming of world’s largest democracy and trend-setter of our planet present leg-pulling and mud-slinging in its general election. All is well if it ends well but puzzling vibes of US election continue to loom large. Writing seems to be on the wall and exit looks imminent for Trump.
Core policy issues confronted Trump are obviously succeeded to Biden like dreads of the deadly Corona Virus, checks and controls on nuclear proliferation, strategic priorities in national security, human rights concerns home and abroad, demanding pressures on Indian untold and unheeded atrocities in Occupied Kashmir, unending exploitation and sufferings of the Palestinians, intricate policy matters of human rights violations in India and Burma, question of extending an olive branch to Iran, graceful exit from Afghanistan without slightest hint of the Vietnam stigma, coping with fear of the unknown in dealing with China and North Korea, dealing with environmental degradation and the quest for sustaining and strengthening US financial and economic credibility.
It is generally said that it needs out-of- the-box thinking, rising over and above self and ego and statesmanship beyond leadership by the branded super power relishing and languishing in its utopia of a unipolar world. US has a world- acknowledged legacy in statesmanlike Monroe, Truman, Woodrow Wilson, LB Johnson, JF Kennedy, Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and alike.
A 2015 poll administered by the American Political Science Association (APSA) among political scientists specialising in the American presidency had Abraham Lincoln in the top spot, with George Washington, Franklin D Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Harry S Truman, Dwight D Eisenhower and Bill Clinton.
PARVEZ JAMIL
Karachi
Social media effects on children
In today’s world, children use social media on daily basis. Through this they are suffering from mental illness. These mental illnesses affect those children who do not sleep on time and are always in touch with social media. It’s careless of their parents because they give them freedom to use social media every time. In Pakistan many children have become victims of depression and psychological diseases.
Due to using social media on a daily basis most of the children are suffering from different problems. It is must for every parent to keep a check on their children activities. It is must to involve them in physical activities like cricket, football and other games to keep them away from social media.
AROOJ MASOOD
Rawalpindi
Australia confesses war crimes
Australian Gen Angus J Campbell has offered an unconditional apology to Afghani nation following a four-year investigation conducted by New South Wales Judge Paul Brereton for war crimes in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2016. These investigations followed a report by Australian Broadcasting Corporation based on information by a former military lawyer David McBride. Instead of punishing the messenger, the Australian PM and military decided to probe into these unlawful killings.
Will the US military and those who collaborated with them ever apologise for the killing of thousands unarmed Pakistanis in Drone Attacks in our country? Given President elect Biden’s commendable role in stopping the massacre and ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims it is expected that his administration would condemn human rights abuses in IOK, Rohingya etc. Investigations for potential criminal prosecution for allegedly killing 39 Afghan citizens by 25 Australian Special Forces in 23 separate incidents, where patrol commanders required junior soldiers to shoot prisoners, farmers and unarmed civilians in a practice known as “Blooding” to achieve the soldier’s first kill. Gen Campbell has appointed a Special Prosecutor for criminal prosecution of 19 current and former members of Australia’s military.
Independent analysts have reported similar breaches of military morals and code of ethics by American, British and French troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The 16 March 1968 My Lai massacre of unarmed civilians in Vietnam by American troops is the worst acts of violence where almost 504 were killed by US troops. 26 soldiers were charged but only Lt William Casey was given a life sentence, but instead he served only three years and half under house arrest. Such unlawful acts of violence against unarmed citizens of other countries have been widely reported against American and British military personnel and other troops trained by them.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Covid-19 and unemployment
Just before advent of 2020, this world encountered an endemic caused by Corona virus which fast turned into a pandemic and changed the outlook of whole humanity inhibiting the earth. The wave of Covid-19 disease did not spare any corner to infect the people, nor did it leave any sphere of life unaffected, be it economic, social, religious or political. Yet the gravest impact of this health emergency is felt by the world economy in general and national economies in particular.
Apparently Pakistan is no exception. Covid-19 has crippled the already fragile economy of Pakistan in number of ways. Most alarming issue can be seen in the shape of increasing unemployment. Since the lockdown put into place around the country, innumerable employees have lost their jobs working in formal and informal sectors. Yet the faction worst hit by this surge of unemployment will be young generation.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimated that young Pakistanis might lose between 1.5 and 2.3 million jobs in the wake of pandemic that has derailed country from the path of economic growth. Youth are expected to lose jobs faster than old ones. Daily wagers vacated of their work and business community suffering the losses amid strict lockdowns country’s unemployment rate is predicted to rise to a whopping 28% according to a survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan.
MAIRA MEMON
Via email
