From Abbottabad to Worse

A rise of extremism signals a society that is deeply insecure and troubled. In a provocative essay for Vanity Fair, Christopher Hitchens blasts Pakistan for refusing to confront forces that weaken the nation, including the failure to resolve the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, strip extremist elements from the military and intelligence service, or quell hatred for the US while accepting billions of its aid. Misdirecting blame only deepens problems. For a government like Pakistan’s that ignores obvious problems and contradictions, the assertion of sovereignty becomes meaningless. By funding a Pakistan that’s only become increasingly dysfunctional, the US is a partner in that country’s shame and misdeeds. Hitchens concludes: “We have been the enablers of every stage of that wretched state’s counter-evolution, to the point where it is a serious regional menace and an undisguised ally of our worst enemy, as well as the sworn enemy of some of our best allies.” – YaleGlobal