An armchair theorist describes what is wrong with U.S. policy regarding Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Put simply, the Taliban, murderous as it is, is not the problem. The problem is the Pakistani military and the stubborn refusal of Washington to comprehend this basic reality. We need to remind ourselves that Pakistan is not a sovereign state with a military, but a sovereign military with a state at its disposal to use as it sees fit.

I believe his diagnosis of the problem is correct. However, the reason he is an "armchair theorist" is his proposed solution...

...what needs to be done without delay is to start the process of transforming the Pakistani military back into an instrument of the state from its current status as a state within the state. The military must be denied once and for all the role of political kingmaker it has long exercised, as well as the inordinate influence it has in the economy. Further, the ISI must be either closed down or put under strict civilian control. Islamabad must also seriously consider doing away with the special status of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, which has contributed to the prevailing lawlessness that the Taliban has exploited. A reconciliation with India is an essential precondition to the success of all of these measures and is very doable; a reconciliation with the Islamist thugs is not. This is the only kind of Washington agenda that would offer real hope of stabilization in Pakistan and the eventual defeat of the Taliban across the border.

It sounds great during a cocktail party, but is an absolute fantasy when applied to the real world.

Speaking of fantasies, George Will uses a famous fantastical tale to illustrate what is happening with American automakers.

Anatole Kaletsky says the U.S. will still rule the post-crisis world.

David Ignatius says America's Baby Boomers are in for a tough retirement.

Another good review of the new Star Trek movie. One blogger rates the Star Trek movies. You guessed it...The Wrath of Khan is #1.

A deal is reached to keep The Boston Globe running, as unions make concessions. This will keep the Globe running for some time going forward, and may make it's financial condition palatable enough for someone to buy it. Still, it does not seem like the Globe, or any other newspaper, will survive very long into the future.

My best wishes go out to Jerry Remy, the television color analyst for Boston Red Sox games for the last twenty years, as well as a former Sox player. He recently was operated on to treat lung cancer, and he has faced complications which will sideline him indefinitely. I hope he recovers from those complications and comes back soon, as I believe he is the best baseball analyst on television.