The old analogue politics cannot be processed fast enough and adapted for new enhanced applications in these fast-chapping times. The mindset needs digital catalytic agents for faster political responses. What are the sizes of our political hard disks? Good political communication is not enough the confusing messages must be acceptable. The dissenters are not unpatriotic. Political viruses have vet to be classified for international communication.

Bush is applying digital politics bypassing the United Nations and cumbersome pockets in the international network. Perhaps our opposition is secretly trying a pilot project of doing politics bypassing the parliament (JS). Similarly, there is apprehension in the opposition camps that the current regime might get the caretaker form of government scrapped by a court ruling.

Digital politics has some advantages (once defined, but definitions never work in politics). The processing and analyses are quicker, and it is easier for others to experiment with models on the screen, before thrusting the same on unsuspecting voters. Virtual reality has to be turned into grim practical tools to bring smiles on the cynical faces.

There is a sort of technical transparency in digital approach as others in other camps can simulate similar studies and present it to the public for awareness and opinion formation. Besides the web sites are there for daydreaming. Dreams are never transparent in the dream world. The proof of the pudding lies in the eating not when others eat it away!

Imaging the Eden Buildings Secretariat in Dhaka carrying out the daily work at digital workstations. The policies and instructions would flow out so speedily that it would create confusion and chaos in the attached offices armed only with pens files and punkha-pullers (fans without electricity).

Before that the political masters (and brokers) have to digitalize the masses for better and faster feedback. The question is whether the hardened fossilized and traditionally closed-mind politicians would like this flow of two-way communication (including feedback) from the voters. Reality is unpleasant most of the time. Specially in under-developed pockets (gun intended).

In the digital world promises cannot be hidden under sweet analogue wraps (all final outputs are used employed or utilized in the analogue form: enjoying a romance music and cultural activities the body's external functions good food and company). In politics the hidden culprit is the private CPU (central processing unit as used in computers) confidentially processing political schemes behind closed doors and thereafter presenting the people with sugar-coated versions of the same. Watch the plight of Blair today.

The philosophical question arises: why like the supreme Creator there should not be only one political party to take care of all the problems. Another man-made invention comes in : democracy (now linked with economic theories converting capitalism and materialism). Socialism withered away as money circulate faster than ideologies.

But there is no politics in the high heavens: hence one artificial prop on this Earth needs other props to maintain the infrastructure (same with the greenhouse effect). Man at the lower levels seeks options. While the autocratic dictators claim "I am the state": while the Sufis maintain that there should be no option left in a life of simplicity (discard not add). Take your choice and make the others happy (not your own happiness).

The goals of the two major political parties in Dhaka are more or less the same: everything (jaan maal) for the people by the politicians. Never in the history of civilization was so much at stake by so few for so many (or so much)!