fantasy becoming reality while real hope is dashed

So apparently two earth shattering events have occurred since my aliyah. Benazir Bhutto was brutally slaughtered in a political assassination, and I won our fantasy football league. Frankly, I don’t know which event is more amazing. I suppose my victory is more remarkable since I have never remotely won anything in fantasy league history, while Bhutto seemed to have a bull’s-eye on her back ever since she reentered Pakistani politics several months ago.


Bhutto, in life and death, will be seen as yet another tragic, misunderstood individual who was probably taken away from us far too early. Her lists of accomplishments are not only commendable but worthy of imitation. She was the first woman ever elected prime minister in a Muslim country. However, her destiny was well paved; Bhutto's father was prime minister of Pakistan in the 70's before he too was executed. Hmm..Do I see a trend here?


Well, Israel and the United States have seriously lost a deep friend in Bhutto. You can add another notch in the global Muslim extremist's belt. Things have gotten so bad in Pakistan; many Pakistanis are looking to make spring break in Afghanistan a permanent settlement. Elections, remember when Musharraf promised free and fair elections, seem a distant memory and an empty promise. This timely assassination plays right into Musharraf''s ever increasingly weak democratic hand and Al Qaeda’s fanatical ideology and world-wide jihad. Bhutto was probably the only real politician Pakistan had; she was also the only real opposition to the sad current state of affairs. Martial law hasn't seemed to quell the need for democracy. The will of the Pakistani people will be tried greatly these next few weeks and months. Hopefully a true heir will emerge and Musharraf's regime can finally be challenged via fair elections. The U.S.-Pakistani relationship has been tumultuous at best. Musharraf's inability to crack down on Al Qaeda has rendered his services useless and ineffective. We needed him at a very vulnerable hour in American foreign policy, and he failed us. He was more worried about his public approval from the powerful cross border, gun slinging AL Qaeda than appealing to the sensible moderates within his country and fighting terrorism. Now, he serves Bin Laden lunch everyday and thanks him for it.

In exceedingly more pressing issues, I have been crowned the champion of this year's Tom Brady's illegitimate children fantasy football league. I would love to thank Chris Palmer and Clinton Portis respectively for helping me out tremendously. Your commitment to our team is well appreciated. I would also like to thank Seattle's defense for scoring -2 points in the Super Bowl game. Had the Seahawks earned a measly +3 points, I would have lost. Borrowing a line from Dennis Green, "They were who we thought they were." Whatever that means. I will be looking to collect, somehow 5,600 miles away, my fantasy earnings, and rest assure I will fly home, find you, and wreak havoc on all of you sorry deadbeats, Mossad (Israeli C.I.A.) style if I am not paid.

Peace in the Middle East,

David