The average American is at the heart of this story ‐ as the victim and as the perpetrator. We suffer as employees because we exert influence as consumers. Yeah, just like a hundred years ago. Except eventually, everyone got to be better off.
One of the best explanations I ever read of any economic topic is by Arnold Kling, who points out that the fundamental purpose of any advanced banking system is to resolve a tension between what savers want (stable, profitable, liquid assets like bank accounts and mutual funds) and what investors want (stable, long-term finance of big, illiquid assets like houses and farms and industrial machinery).
When we are providing the money, we want to be able to get at it whenever possible and bear no risk. When we are borrowing it, we want to be able to lock it up as long as possible, and have the lender eat as much of the risk as possible. The banking system exists to transform the long-term, illiquid loans we want as borrowers into the short-term, liquid investments we want as savers. And we the gubbermint to resolve this tension? Just like a hundred years ago?
In a similar way, as employees, we want to have maximum freedom to take better jobs, to withhold our labor until we get a better deal, or to take time off for stuff we think is important, while enjoying maximum income stability. As customers, however, we want folks who will work cheaply with no commitments and yet show up reliably, which is why we hate the cable company so much. The institutions that intermediate these two desires are employers: governments and companies. Economic tension or spoiled-rotten crybabies? Gotta have the gubbamint protect you from the big, bad corporations/ Whazzamatter, it ain't fair?
As with the banking system, this creates immense value: You don't have to personally locate a cable installer every time a wire goes on the fritz. However, as we saw in 2007, it also creates risks. These risks can be mitigated by good government policy, but they can never be entirely eliminated. But that will never stop the progressives from trying.
Because we have these intermediaries standing between us and the other side, transforming the trades into something more suited to our tastes, it's easy to generate contradictory demands as voters, ones that ratchet up that risk because we ask officials to guard our interests as consumers as well as our interests as workers.
You can see a recent Illinois Supreme Court decision on pensions as an example of the maximalist position on obligations to employees. The court has taken some criticism for that decision, but it's hard to see how the outcome could have been different. The voters of Illinois wrote into their constitution a provision that said that participation in a government retirement system "shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired." Guess who voted that in? I'm sure it was not clear to them that this meant that they had essentially written a blank check that could be used by their elected representatives at any time, and then used to draw down their bank accounts to the last penny, if need be. But that is what they did. Voters were thinking like workers who wanted protection, not like consumers who would pay higher and higher prices (taxes and reduced services) to provide that protection. But it was their elected official who gave away the store, to their employees, at the expense of everybody else still living in Illinois.
And at some point, the check may bounce, leaving us worse off as customers and employees. Government would fail to provide services to taxpayers and income to workers. Locking in long-term obligations that can never be changed for any reason sets up a structural imbalance that might catastrophically rupture, as it recently did in Greece, and has in many other places and times throughout history.
This is not an argument for getting rid of government regulations, or employers, any more than the occasional financial crisis is an argument for tearing down the banking system and going back to hoarding sacks of gold. But i ain't an argument for more gubbermint regulation, is it. How about a little less? Not a rollback to 1899, but may be to just 1960?
It's simply an appreciation of the inevitable tensions between what we want in our dual roles as taxpayers and employees, as producers and consumers, and the difficulty of fully resolving those tensions. That's what Milton Friedman defined as the free-market economy - millions of greedy bastids fighting for their own best interests that sort of average out to nearly everyone's best interest, overall. Without much of the giant hand of government 'guiding the way.'
If you look at what's happening with Chicago's pensions, it seems plausible that the city, and possibly the state, is heading for a fiscal disaster that will be hard on taxpayers and employees. She already said, "Like Greece", right?
So instead, we try to adjust the imbalance slowly. And the easiest way to do that is to change things for new workers. Professors who already have tenure get to keep it; new hires become adjuncts instead. Established workers in unions get the old terms of employment, new workers get a much less generous deal. My Dad could've retired at 65, but I must wait until 66. It'll be even later for my kids, and who knows about the grandkids.
Cowen argues that we may be looking at a big reset ‐ not just eroding pay and security in a few industries, but broadly ending Americans' faith in a rising standard of living. The reset might not be fair. It will certainly not be easy. But it may be necessary.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/07/2015 10:04 ||
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#1
I probably mentioned this previously but if you look at the last severall recession recovers they have lasted longer and longer, regardless of the depth of the recession. I would argue That the weight of debt, regulation, bad policy.. Has slowed each and every recovery. Eventually there will be no recovery but a slow decline to default unless something drastic changes. Unfortunately kicking the can down the road is the usual policy and nothing drastic will change until catastrophe. When is the elusive prediction.
#2
Let me get this right, he's blaming the consumer in a (sort of) market economy? Meanwhile, the middle class is shrinking and the command economy little dictates like Obamacare consume household incomes if you don't qualify as 'poor' and the government consumes more and more of the GDP.
As for managing the economy, the Fed was established to try to bring under control the periodic crashes (all too often driven by speculation) in the system. So we get fewer smaller crashes with bigger ones spread further apart, and a significant reduction in the amplitude of growth and recovery in each occurrence. Yep, that solved the problem. /sarc off.
#3
The banking system exists to transform the long-term, illiquid loans we want as borrowers into the short-term, liquid investments we want as savers. enrich its insiders BIG TIME. All other stated reasons are simply to cover up the massive rent-seeking. it's easy to generate contradictory demands as voters = there is no such thing as a free lunch
The voters of Illinois wrote into their constitution a profoundly stupid and destructive provision &c interpreted by the state supreme court in a straightforward manner. That's what Milton Friedman defined Milton also advocated that there be no licensing of health care personnel, and that the market should sort this out - policies like these were actually tried in the 1800's and failed miserably. He is not always right.
#4
#1 I would argue That the weight of debt, regulation, bad policy.
Bingo, we got a winner here. One could argue that all fall under bad policy, i.e. debt and over-regulation as well. Bailouts, crony capitalism, government bloat, Obamacare, providing subprime loans and quite a few other polices fall under bad policy as well.
#7
Unfortunately for the Global Commies theres no evidence as yet that they are or will be able to control the Global Islamists-Jihad.
MORE ANARCHY-N-CHAOS = "JUSTIFIED" BIG[GEST] GOVT. OR HIGHER = SECULARIST NEED FOR MORE ISLAMIST-LED VIOLENT JIHAD, ETC. IN ORDER TO EMPOWER THE ANARCHY-N-CHAOS WHICH WILL EMPOWER THE BIG[GEST] GOVT AND HIGHER.
Also good for empowering LEGAL SHARIA + OTHER in Amerika.
Iff that means putting their own Country + people at DE FACTO EXISTENTIAL RISK OF DESTRUCTION + ANNIHILATION, SO BE IT, CORRECT???
* CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER = "SAY IT WID ME AMERIKA, OOOOOOOPPPPPSSSS"!
Once again, Amerika, AHMED AL-BUNDY + CAMELS WANTS TO FEEL Amerika's + Commies' love for Islam!
[NATION.PK] Former President and Retired General Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... challenged the rejection of his nomination papers in the 2013 general elections in the Supreme Court on Thursday.
The papers had been rejected on the ground that he had violated the constitution by imposing an emergency in November 2007, apart from undertaking unlawful actions against the judges of the higher courts including removal and house arrest of the former chief justice of Pakistain, Iftikhar Chaudhary. A high treason case under article 6 of the constitution was launched after the PML-N took over the reins of the government and referred the matter to a special court which mentioned Zahid Hamid as one of the abettors of the former President in arriving at the decision to impose the emergency.
The lawyer of the former president has argued that the President had only acted after consulting the cabinet and the then Law Minister Zahid Hamid and many other important functionaries of his erstwhile government.
Zahid Hamid, labelled a turncoat, was surprisingly allowed to contest the elections under the banner of PML-N and rose to become a Federal Minister under the Nawaz-led government in 2013. No action was taken by the returning officer or any other court against Zahid Hamid who was holding the portfolio of Law at the time. He resigned from the cabinet position after his name was mentioned in the decision of the special court.
The General’s plea, to the extent that he has been singled out and is being victimised, seems quite logical. Nobody acts in isolation in any form of government, be it democratic or dictatorial. The hierarchical and consultative character of the decision making process is always maintained, disregarding the fact that a dictator may influence the nature and form of the final decision.
The people who chose to be part of such governments should never be absolved of sharing the responsibility and should be held accountable if the occasion arises. Pakistan has always suffered from the actions of such political vagrants who are there to support the military dictators taking full advantage even in dark times, and then jump the ship and join the newly emerging forces.
It is an ironic that the current rulers are the same who were vociferously announcing their commitment to the mission of General Zia till they were kicked out in 1999 by the army. It is expected that the decision of the court will be a landmark in shunning such opportunists and will strengthen democracy.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2015 00:00 ||
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[NATION.PK] Almost a year after the launch of the grand military operation Zarb-e-Azb ..the Pak offensive against Qaeda in Pakistain and the Pak Taliban in North Wazoo. The name refers to the sword of the Prophet (PTUI!)... in North Wazoo & other areas of FATA and almost six months after the adoption of the National Action Plan ( NAP) in the aftermath of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. tragedy, violence in Pakistain has shown no signs to subside. From the massacre of Ismailies in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... to murder of Pashtuns in Mastung and from targeting Shi'ias in different parts of the country to attacking Christians , the violence is still making headlines in the electronic and print media. Despite the government's claims of thousands of intelligence based targeted operations in various areas , the back of extremism is far from broken. Even government circles concede the fact that the process of implementation of NAP has run out of steam.
The talk of madrassah reforms has become a mere rhetoric. Whatever little reform was introduced by the previous government in curricula in Pakhtunkhwa has been effectively reversed by the provincial government under the influence of JI , without attracting any criticism from extensive political gamut or civil society.
After getting mired in judicial complications and loss of focus by the government, the law to try the hardcore Death Eaters who use religion to launch war against the state has lost relevance.
The busting of a gang of modern educated Death Eaters in Karachi has shocked many people as usual but not to the extent where a movement for removing hate materials from our education curricula is launched, convincing the state to take visible action.
Most of the proscribed organizations are indulging in public political activities unchecked by law enforcement agencies. Top leadership of TTP, the only proscribed organization being targeted by military operations, remains mostly on the lam. As long as they are not apprehended and brought to book, the threat of their regrouping will always be there.
The state apparatus, despite using large scale aerial bombardments, tanks and long range guns along with big number of troops in military action has not fully regained monopoly over legitimate violence in our society.
It is not to suggest that military operation in FATA has not had its successes or operation in Karachi could not hit criminal mafias in the mega city . Operation Zarb-e-Azb has destroyed important terrorist infrastructures and sanctuaries as a result of valiant sacrifices by the personnel of the LEAs and the people of the area. TTP leadership is on the run, losing its capacity to launch big attacks against state security installations . That is why it has tended more and more to attack soft targets.
Important criminal mafias have been busted in Karachi irrespective of their political affiliation leading to reduction in the number of extortions and murders cases .
But is it enough to rid Pakistain of deeply entrenched bully boy violence eating into the vitals of state and society?
Is Pakistain meaningfully closer to become a " normal state" in terms of getting rid of large scale violence?
In the abovementioned scenario, Is the cancer of extremism and terrorism going to be eradicated from Pakistain any time soon?
The answer is unfortunately an emphatic no. The fact is that the misguided state policies of 1980s and 1990s of turning this country into a bastion of international "Jihadist Project", have been the root cause of the problem. The US-led west wanted to defeat the Soviet communism at any cost and for them ends justified the means. They haven't shied away to repeat the same blunders recently in Iraq and Syria. But unfortunately for Pakistain , the military dictatorship of General Zia ul Haq ...the creepy-looking former dictator of Pakistain. Zia was an Islamic nutball who imposed his nutballery on the rest of the country with the enthusiastic assistance of the nation's religious parties, which are populated by other nutballs. He was appointed Chief of Army Staff in 1976 by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, whom he hanged when he seized power. His time in office was a period of repression, with hundreds of thousands of political rivals, minorities, and journalists executed or tortured, including senior general officers convicted in coup-d'état plots, who would normally be above the law. As part of his alliance with the religious parties, his government helped run the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, providing safe havens, American equipiment, Saudi money, and Pak handlers to selected mujaheddin. Zia died along with several of his top generals and admirals and the then United States Ambassador to Pakistain Arnold Lewis Raphel when he was assassinated in a suspicious air crash near Bahawalpur in 1988... that had already launched an " Islamisation " campaign in the country to perpetuate its despotic rule jumped at the Western band wagon and allowed bully boy ideologies and fighters from around the world to come and use Pakistain as a base for fighting in Afghanistan. The scope of religious militancy was subsequently expanded to Indian-held Kashmire .
Arabs, Chechans, Igors and krazed killer from several other nationalities had their own agendas pursued from their bases in Pakistain. This led to, somewhat ironically, our strong security state turning into a soft state where various krazed killer outfits functioned with or without our knowledge.
In Pakistain we all know about our four wars with India. But there is not any talk about the three wars which we fought in Afghanistan. The first one started in 1981 and continued till 1989 against the Soviet troops. The second one commenced in 1994 in favor of Taliban and against the Northern Alliance and continued till September 2001. The third one (recently confirmed by General Musharaf) started in 2003 in support of Taliban that has yet to come to a close.
Instead of allowing an honest and critical review of these policies to evolve a strategy for correction, the state institutions have consistently resorted to obfuscation , a culture that has deeply penetrated our society. Living in fiction and in a state of denial has become a way of life. But that is not all.
The deeply flawed governance based on culture of patronage and negation of merit has led to exclusion of weaker societal sections particularly of the young people making them vulnerable to radicalization. Social and political powerlessness of large sections of society has created space for krazed killer and sectarian ideologies penetrating Pakistain from the Middle East with the help of petrodollars. Our ruling elite has failed to implement part of the Constitution (from Article 8 to Article 39) that provides for the state's responsibility for ensuring social welfare and empowerment of the citizens both vertically and horizontally.
Almost 80 per cent of the annual budget is allocated to three things; debt servicing, defense and administration leaving no scope for focusing on the social sector. The crises of decline in the quality of public education system is the most dangerous for our future.
Undoubtedly, the involvement of hostile foreign agencies in destabilizing Pakistain must be playing a role but our misguided policies have also provided a conducive atmosphere to them. As state and society we must pause, take a step back and conduct an honest debate about the causes of violence that is devouring us.
We have to rethink our policies and go for bold reforms to arrest and reverse the rampant violence that is threatening the very existence of Pakistain. It may amount to entirely redefining Pakistain in order to transform it into a democratic, peaceful and prosperous society. We have to muster political courage to take the right course.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2015 00:00 ||
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[Rooters] BLUF
The tectonic plates are shifting in the Middle East. The United States must do what it can to assure longstanding regional allies that it will abide by security commitments, but it must not box itself into outdated thinking. Iranian and American national-security interests converge in defeating Islamic State. Many other differences will remain.
Only a dispassionate approach to talking to our adversaries could help induce similar cooperation from Iran in Iraq. Such an effort would be in line with the best traditions of an American foreign policy that produced rapprochement with China and detente with the Soviet Union. Talking to Rouhani has us on the precipice of a nuclear accord. Talking to the Revolutionary Guard could help reverse the tide against Islamic State. Ahg! The foreign policy successes of China and the FSU? Don't forget to check out the author, 'Middle East Expert' and oil man Amir Handjani and a extend a golf clap to Rooters for this excellent piece of kak.
Posted by: Besoeker ||
06/07/2015 06:55 ||
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#2
Such an effort would be in line with the best traditions of an American foreign policy that produced rapprochement with China and detente with the Soviet Union.
Jury is still out. Meanwhile Iran continues to work on its nukes.
#4
"Talking to Rouhani has us on the precipice of a nuclear accord."
I can't think of a question to which the correct answer is "Work with the Revolutionary Guard", other than maybe "How do you best go about destroying Israel?"
Posted by: Matt ||
06/07/2015 11:46 Comments ||
Top||
#6
See BHARAT RAKSHAK > [Indepedent.UK] THE WAR WITH ISIS: AS THE MILITANT THREAT GROWS SO DOES THE WEST'S SELF-DECEPTION, i.e. Govt-Medias spinning or proclaiming military setbacks, stalemates, + defeats as "victories/successes".
and
* WORLD NEWS > [Real Clear Politics] FIVE REASONS WHY THE US CAN'T DEFEAT THE ISIS.
Reasons given or denoted are Simple, but Brutal.
* TOPIX > [Al-Bawaba] DAESH IS GETTING STRONGER WHILE WESTERN COUNTRIES [Leaders] TWIDDLE THEIR THUMBS.
[PJMedia] Who are they anyway? IS, the Islamic State, that is.
There are two big components: religious fanatics and totalitarian leaders. The secret of IS' success lies in combining the two ideologies and methods of enlisting and controlling millions of people. Sometimes the two merge in fanatical leaders, as took place in the latter years of Saddam's Iraq (the dictator himself had a personal imam, even). Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi seems a case in point. This appears to be rare, however; for the most part the Islamic Staters are one or the other, with fanatics populating the rank-and-file and politburo-style regime builders dominating the elite. We hear a lot about the faithful, but not so much about the nomenklatura. Here's a look-see at what we might call the caliphate's political class.
#1
religious fanatics and totalitarian leaders... combining the two ideologies
Huh? This sounds like more fudging about the nature of Islam. Religious fanatics and totalitarian leaders are two defining characteristics of that moon-god death cult. Not two ideologies.
[ARA] A part of culture arises as a reflection of post-imperialistic culture, according to Edward Said. In other words, culture can be a reaction by people for being supressed by an alien force using its (superior) culture as justification. This of course already implies a difference in culture, so suppression magnifies these differences and creates fertile ground for cultures of extremism.
A majority of members of the most holy warrior Islamic groups, Daesh (Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... ) and Nusra (Syrian al-Qaeda), come from abroad, especially from caucasian countries and so-called Western countries. The thoughts of these groups seem to be slowly spreading among the Syrian people initially very weary of these groups.
So how can we understand the cultural extremism from these foreign "fighters" (in my opinion they are not just fighting), especially from western countries, from a cultural point as Said would call it?
It is not very different from the argument made by Said, namely a reflection of current Western culture. These "fighters" have been confronted with Western culture, which appearantly has not changed a lot since the end of colonialism. Western culture and politics still contain the thought of superiority towards other cultures. The idea that Western culture can bring human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... and democracy to the others is still widespread. Also the thought that this is a good thing, almost a gift, is still prevalent. That culture can be seen in the so-called aid organizations and politics and finds support in art.
These foreign "fighters" are in essence a reflection of the most extreme form of this post-imperialistic culture. They can be seen, to use a medical analogy, as an unwanted side-effect caused partly by the medication, partly by themselves and partly by their personal environment.
TWIST
The soul can be seen as an irrational part of our being. In any event what they, both "cultures" in extreme form, have in common is negligence for our souls. These cultures provide a foundation for superiority above "any other". By doing so they refute the soul which, according to me, has insecurities and doubt. Rationality, or the pretence of it, can exclude doubt and insecurity about ourselves, our existence, our purpose and the position of the other. Doubt is a necessity for peace.
Dictators can only be if they don't doubt their position and decisions. Hate is unaware of doubt. If a gun would doubt itself no bullet would hit the target.
DOUBT
At the moment doubt seems to be decreasing in Syria and among the parties involved. Doubt means weakening oneself, because it implies that one might be wrong, at least partly. So the lack of doubt strengthens, doubt diminishes untill it is just a shimmer on the horizon or a negotiator from the UN.
So, from my point of view, the only way out of the war is to let doubt re-enter the parties involved. Doubt can only re-enter if the people involved are willing to doubt their side based on facts or superior thought (logic), which will lead to irrationality (emotions).
RADICALIZATION
Another interesting subject are the youngsters joining those groups. In the New York review of Books Malise Ruthven describes the case of a girl from La Belle France. She grew up as a native Frnech in a highly educated and atheist family. After her favourite aunt passed, so Malise claims, she finds comfort in religion, Islam.
Our society, in its extreme rational form, lacks attention for our souls. In this case comfort after we loose a beloved one. Religion can provide that irrational comfort. This leaves us vulnerable to outside influences that do give comfort. After receiving comfort, the girl becomes vulnerable to extreme views of that releigion, Islam. And she subsequently loses the irrational part again, she is not able to doubt the religion and it's supposed duties, and joins the war in Syria.
In the end the paradoxes are: rationality is required to allow irrationality (doubt) and the lack of irrationality attracts young people to extremism (lack of irrationality).
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Western culture, which appearantly has not changed a lot since the end of colonialism
Dying and beginning to decompose is not change enough?
#2
The idea that Western culture can bring human rights and democracy to the others is still widespread. Also the thought that this is a good thing, almost a gift, is still prevalent. That culture can be seen in the so-called aid organisations and politics and finds support in art.
He neglected to include 'money making'.....but I suppose that was an implied element. Human rights, democracy, and nation building as convenient covers, etc.
#3
When Western Imperialism was in place, the amount of mussie vs mussie and african vs african violence and death toll was a lot less. Not to mention side avocations like terrorism, piracy, slaving, et al.
#4
This is the writing of a self-hating lefty who wants to save Arabs and Muslims from accepting responsibility for their own situation.
The truth is Islam is an exceptionally rigid and inflexible religion. This rigidity causes a violent response to change. The muslim youth in Europe are the bleeding edge of this dilemma.
Also, they were brought up to believe that they should be in charge of everything, just for being Muslim. The fact that Westerners look upon them with amusement drives them crazy.
Al
Posted by: frozen al ||
06/07/2015 12:02 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Article attempts to totally ignore the fact that Islam has been an imperial religion since its very beginning. It has been a a poorly performing imperialist endeavor for the last 500 years, and is trying to claw its way back to the top as other imperialist powers decline. The 'foreign fighters' just want to join a winning imperialist effort.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The average American is at the heart of this story ‐ as the victim and as the perpetrator. We suffer as employees because we exert influence as consumers.
I'm sure it was not clear to them that this meant that they had essentially written a blank check that could be used by their elected representatives at any time, and then used to draw down their bank accounts to the last penny, if need be. But that is what they did. Voters were thinking like workers who wanted protection, not like consumers who would pay higher and higher prices (taxes and reduced services) to provide that protection.
This is not an argument for getting rid of government regulations, or employers, any more than the occasional financial crisis is an argument for tearing down the banking system and going back to hoarding sacks of gold. 
Pervez 
[NATION.PK] Almost a year after the launch of the grand military operation 
...the creepy-looking former dictator of Pakistain. Zia was an Islamic nutball who imposed his nutballery on the rest of the country with the enthusiastic assistance of the nation's religious parties, which are populated by other nutballs. He was appointed Chief of Army Staff in 1976 by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, whom he hanged when he seized power. His time in office was a period of repression, with hundreds of thousands of political rivals, minorities, and journalists executed or tortured, including senior general officers convicted in coup-d'état plots, who would normally be above the law. As part of his alliance with the religious parties, his government helped run the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, providing safe havens, American equipiment, Saudi money, and Pak handlers to selected mujaheddin. Zia died along with several of his top generals and admirals and the then United States Ambassador to Pakistain Arnold Lewis Raphel when he was assassinated in a suspicious air crash near Bahawalpur in 1988...
