Author Archives: Editors

‘China’s New Silk Road: What is in it for Pakistan’ By Zofeen Ebrahim

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China’s decision to invest heavily in Pakistan will have far reaching economic and political impact. This may also be a turning point for war on terror. The Pakistani Army must be on board to eliminate this curse of terrorism otherwise China would not have jumped into this venture. This article in Dawn illustrates why this project is important for China. Two days ago NYT also had an article which describes dwindling influence of America in Asia. (f.sheikh).

During his visit to Pakistan, China’s president will discuss a raft of energy and infrastructure deals as part of wider ambitions to open new trade and transport routes across Asia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan had already generated a sense of nervous anticipation. Originally expected to come in September last year, Xi’s visit was postponed in the wake of prolonged anti-government protests in Islamabad, with the government not want anything untoward happening this time round.

As well as signing a raft of energy, trade and investment agreements, the Chinese president will inaugurate Balochistan’s Gwadar port, which is part of the 3,000 kilometre-long strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which could radically alter the regional dynamics of trade, development and politics.

Gwadar, once a part of Oman before it was sold to Pakistan in 1958, is one of the least developed districts in Balochistan province. It sits strategically near the Persian Gulf and close to the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 per cent of the world’s oil passes.

The construction and operation of this multi-billion dollar deep-sea port at Gwadar was contracted to a Chinese company in 2013 and some analysts argue that the port could turn into China’s naval base in the Indian Ocean, enabling Beijing to monitor Indian and American naval activities.

Establishment of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was first proposed by Chinese premier Li Keqiang during his visit to Pakistan in May 2013. “Our two sides should focus on carrying out priority projects in connectivity, energy development and power generation,” Li said at the time. For full article click link below.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1177116/chinas-new-silk-road-whats-in-it-for-pakistan

http://www.dawn.com/news/1177116/chinas-new-silk-road-whats-in-it-for-pakistan

 

 

 

 

http://www.dawn.com/news/1177116/chinas-new-silk-road-whats-in-it-for-pakistan

“When A Man Loves A Woman”

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Percy Sledge, R&B and Soul singer of sixties died today at the age of 73. His song, ” when a man loves a woman” became the cornerstone of soul music and is ageless. Below is his legendary song, enjoy it.

posted by f.sheikh

Ayn Rand on Johnny Carson

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Ayn Rand is the guiding light for many current politicians and the super rich.  Her
words show a dispassionate outlook on human nature and thought that appeals to some
and hated by others.

Nasik Elahi

In it is a two part video uploaded to YouTube by warpicachu of Johnny Carson interview Ayn Rand in depth on her philosophy.  She explains the core concept of her teaching, the central value, which is selfishness.

See the videos below the fold, and enjoy.

 

 

Questions On Moral Dilemas

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Imagine a runaway train. If it carries on down its present course it will kill five people. You cannot stop the train, but you can pull a switch and move the train on to another track, down which it will kill not five people but just one person. Should you pull the switch? This is the famous ‘trolley’ problem, a thought experiment first suggested by Philippa Foot in 1967, and which since has become since become one of the most important tools in contemporary moral philosophy. (In Foot’s original, the dilemma featured a runaway trolley, hence the common name of the problem.)

When faced with the question of whether or not to switch the runaway train, most people, unsurprisingly, say ‘Yes’. Now imagine that you are standing on a bridge under which the runaway train will pass. You can stop the train – and the certain death of five people – by dropping a heavy weight in front of it. There is, standing next to you, an exceedingly fat man. Would it be moral for you push him over the bridge and onto the track? Most people now say ‘No’, even though the moral dilemma is the same as before: should you kill one to save the five?

Or consider a dilemma first raised by Peter Singer forty years ago. You are driving along a country road when you hear a plea for help coming from some roadside bushes. You pull over, and see a man seriously injured, covered in blood and writhing in agony. He begs you to take him to a nearby hospital. You want to help, but realize that if you take him the blood will ruin the leather upholstery of your car. So you leave him and drive off. Most people would consider that a monstrous act.

Now suppose you receive a letter that asks for a donation to help save the life of a girl in India. You decide you cannot afford to give to charity since you are saving up to buy a sofa and bin the letter. Few would deem that to be immoral. Click Link to read interesting discussion.

https://kenanmalik.wordpress.com/2015/04/11/the-moral-camera/

posted by f. sheikh