I was watching the Daily Show last week, and i saw this segment on Pakistan and their problems with the Taliban. I didn't think all that much of it then, even though it was interesting, but while i was writing my simulation reflection this afternoon, i thought about how it connected to many of the things that i have learned throughout this unit. I think that Jon Stewart does a great job satirizing the relationship between the United Sates and the affairs of the Middle East, and in fact the situation in the Middle East as a whole. The way that the situation in Pakistan is depicted, Stewart shows a large difference in what the United States expected when they sent $10 billion to the Pakistani government to counter terrorism, and what they have actually done with it. He also shows how the U.S. has also been unsuccessful in their war against terrorism, and how perilous a situation Pakistan is actually in. According to the segment, which is admittedly a comedy show, but also a reasonably trustworthy view of current events, the Pakistani government is on the verge of collapsing, the Taliban is close to reaching a major city, the nukes are possibly in danger, and the President is in America asking for help. The way it is shown makes it seem like the Pakistani president is using America's economic power as an argument that we should be giving them money. Seeing as America is already dedicated to fighting terrorism, and helping Pakistan would be beneficial, the President has a point. At the same time, it seems like they are just taking advantage of us because we're locked in. The point i'm trying to make is that this unit has taught me not to trust any one dialogue in regards to a political or military crisis, and to see the problem from all sides. This show connects that lesson to a current topic, and reinforces McNamara's argument that you need to understand how you're enemy feels, and act accordingly.

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Iran Cartoon

I often find that cartoonists have some of the most interesting ways of portraying a topic. In the case of Iran and Mr. Ahmadinejad, i found this picture. As we were talking about some connections between Ahmadinejad in class today, i thought it was particularly relevant. It was noted that when Hitler first took power, nobody really believed that he would do all the things that he had said he would do. Hitler wasn't taken seriously, and we all know the end result. What i find interesting are the parallels between Hitler and Ahmadinejad, obviously pointed out in this cartoon, with the "Hitler Moustache" spelled out as Iran, and the atomic bomb exploding in his eye. Some people are arguing that Ahmadinejad's threats are not to be taken seriously, and while they may be right, the consequences of being wrong are severe. I think that this image effectively captures the fears of many people. It includes a suggestion of nuclear war, as well as another holocaust (with the connection to hitler), and gives an overall sinister image of Iran. As McNamara was saying in "The Fog of War", everybody in positions of power make mistakes, and even if people don't like to admit them, the least they have to do is to learn from them. If Ahmadinejad and his promise towards the eradication of Israel and hostility to the western world are legitimate, then we have a situation not completely dissimilar to that which America had to deal with Hitler. This image seems to suggest that we need to learn from our mistakes in the past, and not allow the Iranian situation to break out into war, for now that atomic weapons have been brought into the mix with arguably equally irrational leadership, the stakes have been raised. Again, as McNamara said, there is no learning period with nuclear weapons, just the destruction of nations.