Correct me if I am wrong - but an underlying threat to Pakistan's survival as a nation, a culture - along with influences from across the border - is its morality. I feel that there is this pervasive attitude in both Pakistanis and Indians when it comes to certain moral behaviours/attitudes. Whether in the form of rishwat - which everyone commits on the pretext of "its the only way to get things done" or "eveyone else does it, so I have to"; or in our habit of lying. Lying to save face, lying to avoid uncomfortable situations, lying to avoid responsibility, etc... I find as a culture - in ways we suffer from ammorality not immorality. Certain things are simply not considered "oooo bad". I find no nation wide focus on the degeneration of the youth - in finding negativity in activities such as smuggling, theft, bribery..

We ooo and aahhh at civil servants - "falana falana works in the government" - impressed by their obvious display of corruption in their Honda car and Defence house. We lie to our neighbours at the drop of a hat to get out of a chai invitation - instead of stating that we really are busy that night...

I haven't been back in a few years, and I know that next summer will definately hit me with culture shock - but I've spent every childhood summer or winter holiday in Pakistan and I've seen how there and here we desis have that underlying attitude. We try to get a deal on any level, we carry out "cash transactions" when and where we can - without any concern as to its impact on our society. If a desi can find an alternate, shady route - they will take it. They seek it. I think this is what is accelerating our moral and social decline.

The whole Bollywood cinema - well how else do you control the average desi? Chunk out some tunes, flash a hip jhatka, and throw in some humour at the expense of Sikhs, Pathans, gorafied Desis, etc... The masses are educated about life outside their scooter and apartment via Bollywood. How else would they learn that surrogacy is getting a prostitute pregnant with your baby, or that heart transplants carry the soul of the donor into the recipient?

Just as the average population in North America believes whatever their television tells them, hence the subcontinent believes in their Bollywood. It's a tactic by the powers that be (government?) to numb the populace and to promote a superficially obsessed, pleasure-seeking, pacified nation.

Question is - what is there to target the spread of ignorance?

Education - not just taking sciences in FSC to go to med school - rather grass roots initiatives and promotion of multiple views, schools of thoughts, perceptions of the world - is what is lacking and can give the average Raju the tools with which to evaluate and scrutinize the overflow of information.

The Pakistan of my father's (50s -60s), seems like such a distant, alien world to the Pakistan I see and feel today, and the one that I have grown up in. Meeting the educated liberals from that zamana project such a different perception of Pakistan to me. In ways such that I can truly understand its formation and what it represents as a country. From their recollections I have developed a love of the country that never could have arisen from 2 rupee Quaid-e-azam copy covers or shopping on Tariq road or dancing the ludhi at a wedding.

We've lost sight of who we are as Pakistanis, mirred in corruption, religious and social ignorance - and India (darling of the West with her rapid adoption of superficial Western popular culture) seems to be progessing in Delhi, Mumbai, and Goa (ignore the villages where most of the population actually live) - so we feel like the ugly sister. In contrast to working towards I full potential - we feel the need to borrow our 'prettier' sister's clothing and make-up (totally the wrong shade for our skin) - so that the world will call us developed and invite us to the UN security council clique.

Jersey: Sure the Muslim world is confronted by all kinds of un-Islamic values due to globalization but we can put a stop to it if enough people believe in doing so. It's all about your passion to do something about the issue, and if enough people act upon it, it will make a huge difference...the domino effect always has its benefits! Also, I don't think there is a very strong correlation between globalization and Pakistan "going down the drain." There are positives and negatives of globalization and there are positives and negatives in every culture. We need to take the "good" and implement it while neglecting the "bad". Commitment is what it is all about; if you're commited towards a goal, insh'allah God gives you the will power to bring your hopes and dreams to realization. At the end of the day, Jersey, it is all about one's outlook on things in life.

Ok Jersey but you know, it really ties back into a strong sense of cultural identity and religion. Whereas Hinduism (an ideology, NOT a "religion") in India doesn't have tailored rules like Islam, it is free to be as "western" as it wishes. To me that reeks of insecurity, lack of pride, and a major inferiority complex!!! What is Bollywood trying to prove with each passing movie, actresses' skirts getting shorter and shorter, and sex scenes becoming the norm? You really can't sit with a family these days and watch these kind of movies; it was not this bad in the previous decades. Now, Indians try to emulate the West to such an extent that they've forgotten their own centuries old culture, which they should be proud of. Pakistan, on the other hand, seems to be going this route because there are no stricter controls in place as there were previously, say in the 80s. Pakistan has a beautiful culture, a wonderful mix of ethnicities with each ethnicity adding to the flavor of the country as a whole in terms of language, traditions, dresses, food, etc. How terribly sad to be slowly losing these! Something needs to be done about it and fast. The brainwashed can be reverse-brainwashed!

Arrack.. I understand the india threat.. some pakistanis (mainly karachiites?) have said for generations that we would be better off as one country... which is a weird ungrateful way of looking at things.. but maybe this view is prevalent after a few decades/ once the reality of a country's future becomes clear (bribery/ corruption/ loss of ideals etc.).. when we went to Bangladesh in December ordinary folks (hotel staff) came up to us and told us how nice it was to see Pakistanis.. how 'we were one country once.. then at war' but not any more.. how their country started out well.. and now look at it.. I think thay were feeling the same malaise

Mozahm: I'm going to be taking PIA because my parents are gung-ho about taking our national airlines to/from Pak; if we don't support our own country's airlines, who the heck will??? Aside from that, I can undestand your point about corruption/rishwat...there truly is alot of it and like anywhere else, it is all about who you know. Re: Arrack's point about the Indian cultural invasion, what sickens me to death is opening up Pakistani fashion magazines like Libas or turning on GEO or ARY on the dish network and seeing young guys and girls dressed in skimpy outfits, drinking, and smoking...they truly have lost all sharm and hayaa...to me, this is NOT modern, it's just pathetic and is super sad!!! On a different note, if the intelligent, level-headed people of the same generation don't do anything to alleviate the current state of affairs in Pak, no one will!

Corruption with a capital EVERYONE.

It's a way of life. They dont even regard it as "corruption." Nothing gets done without a lil sumthin sumthin under the table. NOTHING.

Personal experience: I tried to change my flight through PIA there. First they couldn't do it because it was impossible. Then it was full. Then it would cost 500 american dollars. Then he just laughed wink wink. My mom handed me some money and whispered to give it to him subtley. Hell no! My dad ended up doing it through their NY branch, or something, for free. That's PIA. Don't get me started on what we went through at the passport office. There were guys on the sidewalk ACROSS THE STREET that would produce "official" documents for a nominal fee. How do you think I got home!? lol

Also, people are just plain lazy. They like to blame everyone else for everything, very little if any introspection, and they don't like to work. ESPECIALLY the government workers. Nothing gets done because they sit around doing 3 papers (out of a stack) a day.

My dad's friend has a "side business" where he produces fake tax receipts for business owners so they don't have to pay the government taxes for their business. He charges them 15% of the tax and pockets all the money. SO at night he gives them the receipt at his house, and the next day they come see him at the tax collection office (he works there. enough said.) and hand him the receipt back so he can stamp it. LOL what can i say to that?

Forgive me if I am grossly mistaken. This is merely my opinion after years of overhearing the older generation speak of "back home" and having been there a few times myself.