India and Pakistan met yesterday, and not much was accomplished.
This dialogue’s been going on for 60 odd years, interspersed by 3 wars, and so far it hasn’t led to lasting peace in the region.
The Pakistanis want Kashmir back, the Indians won’t give it up.
The Indians want Pakistan to control its secret services’ involvement in terror bombings in India, Pakistan isn’t too interested.
Both sides are engaged in a proxy war in Afghanistan.
Both sides are also indirectly in conflict over water resources.
But they’re talking and that in itself is not a bad thing.
The old jealousies and the hurt feelings after partition may one day lead to a recognition that all the nationalism in the world does not bring prosperity, while prosperity brings with it a responsibility to do more than posture.
The same thing is true of Israel and the Palestinians, although neither side is at the moment serious about peace.
Gorilla says: “And we could be talking with Iran, but somehow we just can’t get past the past!”
