The most basic function of any state is to insure that it is the only organization that uses force to compel people to do things. Therefore, armed gangs are one of the biggest signs of the failure of the state. The more powerful the gangs are, the weaker the state is.

In America, most white people don’t worry about gangs as long as they limit themselves to killing minorities. Thus, the growing power and sophistication of American gangs has escaped the notice of most Americans.

But for how long will this be the case? One thinks of how the failed state of Afghanistan suddenly came to people’s notice. Pockets of lawlessness have a way of making themselves know even on the wealthy and secure.

That is why I think it is worth listening as Stanley Crouch laments the fact that nobody wants to face the reality of the American killing fields.

PC Bloggs makes fun of those who think that more laws are the answer to crime with devastating British irony.

One of the biggest errors of modern time is a misplaced faith in laws. It is thought that the right laws can do everything from taming the power of the US to improving the status of woman. But the truth is that laws do not create society, society creates laws. The power of a law nessearly stems from the values that make up a society. As a consequence, laws that are not based on values common to a society will only create widespread lawlessness. In other words, without a society based on common values, laws are useless.

This truth is ignored by many people who think that if they can only get the right laws passed, then society will be so much better. Such people would do well to read this essay from the Belmont Club exploring the consequences of trying to make enforce a common law were there is no common society.

This week’s essay of the week is from The Ape Man and it is called Why moderate Muslims don’t matter. It is a bit of a misleading title since Ape Man’s argument really applies to all religions. Nonetheless, it is a point that we don’t feel is given the proper consideration even in conservative circles.

This from the blog Pakistan Uncut (although I think the credit should really go to Dawn News service)…..

Islamabad’s densely populated Sector G-6, where Lal Masjid is located, and the areas in its vicinity were jolted by big bangs of grenades, heavy shelling and other heavy arms used in the battle early in the morning.

The entire federal capital was declared a red zone as there was a complete ban on people’s entry and exit from morning to evening.

Life in Islamabad was paralysed and most residents went on rooftops to see clouds of thick black smoke over Lal Masjid.

The fighting was so horrifying that bullets of heavy guns hit many multi-storeyed buildings located four to five kilometres away from Lal Masjid.

Heavy movement of troops continued around Lal Masjid throughout the day with machinegun-fitted armoured personnel carriers and trucks carrying armed troops.

Some of the parents of the children, who did not come out of the mosque or were shifted to other places without informing them, started weeping when they were told that the operation had almost concluded.

I feel sorry for all the poor parents who had little kids trapped in there. Can you imagine seeing a fight like that go on knowing that your kid was trapped in side?

Unfortunately, I think events like this are only going to become more common.

A writer on a Federation of American Scientist Strategic Security Blog thinks he has found a picture of a new Chinese sub on Google Earth. He speculates that it can carry a more advanced sea-launched ballistic missile then previously known Chinese subs.

If it was anyone else, I would probably dismiss the story out of hand. But the Federation of American Scientist usually err on the side of caution. If they say they think they have found a new sub, they probably have.

(h/t Defense Tech: who also have some observations of their own.)

I don’t know what it is about Spengler and Russia. But every time he gets on the subject he lets off a blistering little rant. Even some people who normally hate every word that comes out of Spengler’s mouth liked this one.

Today’s essay comes from a former Muslim radical called Ed Husain. He writes of his experiences in Saudi Arabia in an essay in The Australian called Barely veiled menace. I doubt that what is recounted here will surprise anyone, but it is an interesting essay none the less.

I have one quibble with the essay though. The author repeatedly refers to the Saudi youth as being sex starved and he blames the strict separation of the sexs for many of the problems that he observes. But I think he has the cause and effect mixed up.

There are a lot of non- Islamic cultures in the world who have worse sexual problems than the author describes in Saudi Arabia. Sub-Sahara Africa springs to mind right off the bat. So do some Caribbean countries.

I think that popularity of many of seeming harsh sexual regulations in Islam stems from the fact that many woman fear that things would be even worse for them without those regulations. Certainly a large part of the Taliban’s popularity stemmed from the fact that they gave greater protection to the woman of that country then the Warlords did.

This Pakistani blog is interesting in its own right if you like to get the perspective of people who actually live in an area. But I was particularly interested in the comments on this post here.

Their English is not the best so it will take a little parsing. Also one should remember that these are all English speakers and so not a good representative sample of the people of Pakistan. Still, it was quite interesting to read their comments.

In an article in the Asia Times Online, Syed Saleem Shahzad claims that Musharraf has given NATO the green light to cross the border into Pakistan. Shahzad’s claims are pretty far reaching. Read this passage….

KARACHI – Since last September, North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in Afghanistan have been pressing Islamabad for the right to conduct extensive hot-pursuit operations into Pakistan to target Taliban and al-Qaeda bases.

According to Asia Times Online contacts, NATO and its US backers have gotten their wish: coalition forces will start hitting targets wherever they might be.

Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf is expected to make an important announcement on extremism during an address to the nation in the next day or two.

The ATol contacts in Islamabad say that coalition intelligence has pinpointed at least four centers in the tribal areas of North Waziristan and South Waziristan on the border with Afghanistan from which Taliban operations inside Afghanistan are run. These bases include arms caches and the transfer and raising of money and manpower, the latter in the form of foot-soldiers to fight with the Taliban-led insurgency.

Operations inside Pakistan might be carried out independently by the United States, probably with air power, by Pakistani forces acting alone or as joint offensives. In all cases, though, the US will pull the strings, for instance by providing the Pakistanis with information on targets to hit.

Musharraf has apparently already told his military commanders, the National Security Council and decision-makers in government of the development.

If Shahzad is not just blowing smoke and Musharraf has really agreed to this one wonders what pushed Musharraf over the edge? Is it the problems with the Red Mosque? Did Cheney threaten to stop the flow of money if Musharraf’s did not do more to help?

I doubt Musharraf will be able to hang onto power if NATO starts crossing the border. But then, I doubt that Musharraf will be able to hang onto power for long no matter what he does. So maybe Musharraf is willing to take the gamble. Or maybe Shahzad is lying through his teeth.