ssNY, It is dusty when sun shines and it is muddy when it rains. LOL. But seriously, it saddened me to see a sense of resignation in a fellow countryman. I am not a jingoist. But I don't think this kind of forsaking does justice to what we really are. God has not forsaken Nepal. I am a scientist and I can vouch that the Nature has given Nepalis intelligence at par with any people in the world. We are not an inferior people. Can't you see Nepalis doing well in various fields and often excelling competing with people from "advanced" countries ? What does this all tell you ? This tells that Nepalis are potentially as good as any "advanced" people. Our problem lies not in "people" but elsewhere. And we can find that out only by engaging with what we are forsaking, IMHO. *** *** *** *** Captain Haddock, I am sure I am as lacking as you claim for yourself in political, analytical expertise. I just don't have your humility to say that ;-) Akhilesh probably wrote "a great article". But as much as I can see, this article is going to be a liability for him rather than something he will be able to show proudly to his peers and readers when all this mess gets cleared up and Nepal enters into a new era of LOKTANTRA most probably without the King or with the King reduced to nobody that no journalist ever have to write another "great article" condemning king related stuff like "anti-palace vitriol" ever. Tara tyo bhavishya ko vishaya paryo. I have nothing but praise for media in Nepal. Yours truly has seen Palace sensitive media both before 1990 and in 2005 and international model media of the free world to say that much. However, I do agree with what Captain is saying about the political parties. Their inconsistencies, ambivalence and indecisiveness on the very mother of all political questions that has killed 14,000+ Nepalis and left the country with unimagined destructions and scars, is hurting the nation and the people in hourly basis. Their frail voice, almost inaudible, for a self-introspection is another related story. However, I am not surprised with the situation. The fact is that the political parties are slowly waking up, we all know from what. So at this transitional time, at this dusk, it is natural to behave that way. Let's keep watching, their consciousness and voice will get clearer, stronger and bolder. Nepe