The UN Represents The Governments Of The World. May A "Bell Of Atri" Represent The People Of The World? (Part 70)
The Milgram Experiment (1971) by Stanley Milgram
In August 1971, Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram, conducted an experiment to measure "obedience to authority versus natural justice" in law-abiding citizens: A subject walked into a laboratory believing he/she is here to participate in a study of memory & learning. After being assigned the role of a teacher, he/she was asked to teach word associations to a fellow subject (who was secretly Milgram's collaborator). The teaching method consisted of administering increasingly powerful electric shocks (up to 450V) to the "learner". At 300V, the strapped learner's constant pleas to be set free grew increasingly frenzied, he was seemingly in great pain, & exhibited clear signs that going all the way may endanger his life. However, the experimenter, if asked by the subject, insisted that the learner was faking it, & that the subject must continue...as a result of which, 100% of subjects went up to 300V & 65% went all the way to 450V (at which point Milgram halted the experiment)!
The Story Of Heinz's Dilemma (1958) by Lawrence Kohlberg
The doctors had declared Heinz's wife a terminal cancer patient with very little time left. According to the doctors, her only hope lay in a new drug just discovered by a local chemist...but it was extremely expensive (10 times what it cost the chemist to produce it). Heinz managed to raise half the price by borrowing from family & friends. Heinz explained his wife's condition to the chemist & offered a 50% down payment & a contract with the chemist that legally obligated Heinz to pay off the remaining debt in installments...but the chemist wanted nothing short of an upfront payment. Later that night, Heinz broke into the chemist's store & stole the drug. Was Heinz right or wrong, & why?
The aforementioned "case studies" are 2 of the most fundamental lessons taught in Psychology. While they are brilliant enough to raise a thousand thought-provoking questions, the most interesting question pertains to the grave consequences of legislative &/or judicial incompetence &/or corruption, particularly on the oldest pillar of human civilization - the market. At what point are the People of The World obligated to prioritize the principles of natural justice over the unjust diktats of certain Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)?
"Aim of trial is legal process not imprisonment, rules SC" - The Express Tribune (May 12, 2024)
To summarize: While adjudicating a case regarding the bail of a party who stands accused of stealing petroleum, oil & lubricants being transported from Karachi to the Pak-Arab Refinery Ltd. (PARCO), Supreme Court Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar ruled in favor of the accused & commented that the most important feature of a trial is its objective of offering an accused party the option to rebut or refute the charges against him/her.
The definition of "Liberty" according to Black's Law Dictionary is: "Freedom; exemption from extraneous control. The power of the will, in its moral freedom, to follow the dictates of its unrestricted choice, and to direct the external acts of the individual without restraint, coercion, or control from other persons."
If the Supreme Court Of Pakistan (in keeping with relevant sections of International Law) underlines the importance of eschewing physical confinement as much as possible, why is the Supreme Court Of Pakistan (& the intergovernmental authorities responsible for the promulgation & enforcement of International Law) silent over the IMF's instructions to the FBR to interfere with the freedom of cellular communication of 506,671 People Of Pakistan?
领英推荐
"Mobile phone prices in Pakistan see massive drop" - Samaa (May 11, 2024)
To summarize: In a surprising twist, the prices of cellphones in major markets across Pakistan, e.g. Lahore & Faisalabad, have witnessed a 20-40% crash. According to informed sources, this situation runs counter to expectations of a price spike in the wake of the surge in cellphone imports into Pakistan.
In view of the fact that lower prices mean reduced sales tax revenues (for relevant IGOs), how is the IMF silent over the price cut by the cellphone companies doing business in Pakistan? In view of the threat of SIM blockage hanging above the heads of over half a million Pakistani cellphone users/customers, how much of a boost in sales revenue (via turnover) may the cellphone companies expect, unless & until legislation empowering bureaucrats to deprive citizens of basic utilities (sans due process), is permanently scrapped as a gross human rights violation?
"Farmers to hold nationwide protest on May 21" - Business Recorder (May 10, 2024)
To summarize: The Pakistani farmers' protest over the Pakistan Wheat Import Scandal is becoming more earnest & urgent, reportedly due to the lack of concern shown by Islamabad (as well as UN subsidiaries, the International Monetary Fund & the World Bank Group). In the latest announcement, Pakistani farmers have demanded the immediate arrest of Mr. Anwarul Haq Kakar, plus the bureaucrats & importers involved in the Scandal; they have also demanded financial compensation for the damage done by the Scandal to farmers. In a shocking disclosure, Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee General Secretary Farooq Tariq announced that Pakistan imported 3.4 million tons of wheat from August 2023 to March 2024...of which 1.3 million tons consisted of insects!
The aforementioned 3.4 million tons of wheat+insects, the result of a sale-purchase agreement between the Government Of Pakistan (& a currently-unidentified Government), under the supervision of IGO the World Trade Organization (& possibly, other IGOs &/or IGO subsidiaries), cost the People Of Pakistan PKR 330 billion (US$ 1.2 billion)! Pakistan Prime Minister S. Sharif has "done his duty" by replacing the Secretary of National Food Security & Research. But the consumer concern over the possibility that he/she may have purchased or be purchasing wheat flour that is 40% powdered bugs, remains unaddressed.
But, from an international finance perspective, the real danger from the Pakistan Wheat Import Scandal could be to the banks whose representatives sit on the Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation Limited (PASSCO) board: National Bank Of Pakistan, Allied Bank Ltd., Habib Bank Ltd., MCB Bank Ltd., Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd. & United Bank Ltd. Unless the Scandal is legally & speedily addressed, what are the financial consequences on the market shares of the aforementioned banks? Could international banks that are failing in their traditional markets, e.g. JPMorgan Chase, etc., view the Scandal as a way to replace local bankers, e.g. the House Of Habib, the Adamjee Group, the Bestway Group, etc.?
"I don't make demands. I don't tell you how it should be. I'll give you options, & it's up to you to select or throw 'em away. That should be the headline: If you're insecure, don't call." - Russell Crowe