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F-16
   Medicine has taken me further from the world of news. It is now occasionally that I happen to read the editorial page of a news paper _ even on weekends _ which is quite unlike me. Today happened to be one of the days when I visit the newspaper in print. I was amazed to read the opinions carried by 'The News' in its editorial section. the varied articles ranged from Crocker's visa propaganda to a very interesting read by Dr. Farrukh Saleem. He is an involved writer who takes his subject to heart and in greater technical detail than any other writer would actually muster the courage to do in this day in time. In his very sincere and simple way of writing he has tried to accustom a civilian mind with the thinking pattern of a soldier's mind. the article I believe is more suited for the non civilian mind than any other. I say this because he has tried to equate the cost of buying 75 F-16's into physical terms like building pyramids of money or building pavements to the moon. He tells us that if 3 billion dollars (which is the cost of the deal) are taken in one dollar notes and stacked into a pyramid it would be high enough to hinder the course of an F-16 flight at its ceiling of 65,000 feet.
...If we were to start building a pyramid with stacks of $1 notes right from the basin of where the Atlantic Ocean is the deepest, the pyramid of dollars will come out of the water and go up another 150,000 feet thus becoming an obstacle for an F-16 flying at its maximum ceiling of 65,000 feet (the equivalent of more than 15 kilometres)...

   Similarly he tells us that it will take 2 cashiers 9 years to count the sum if it were to be given to them in 1$ bills or better still we can pave a road from prime minsiter's secretariat to the moon and still have dollar bills to spare!
   If our leaders want to build a Health care center every 100 square kilometers its will cost a total of 1 billion dollars. If they want a four classroom state of the art school every 10 kilometers the total cost is 1 billion dollars. If we buy four less planes we can double our education budget. Or triple the health budget.
   Now see, all these calculations to a civilian mind would seem absurd and un-necessary. For a civilian mind a deal worth such a value is an absurd thought to begin with. BUT no__ our non civilian minds don't grasp ideas that easily. They need to be taught in simpler terms, as the writer has tried in this article. But why would they understand. If they could they wouldn't because their pockets will be empty if civilians get educated or have better health or even the mere awareness of this being a probability. So I say Dr. Farrukh you are in deep deep trouble.

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