Monday, May 5, 2008, Rabi-ul-Sani 28, 1429    

Flawed US policies & Pakistan

Rizwan Ghani
Email:sadcat44@hotmail.com

PM’s anti-terror policy given in his article, “We will fight terrorism— our way”, which appeared in a national English daily on May 01 will fail on three counts: 1) Bush is securing America’s Colonial (foreign) Policy [CFP], economic and security interests in the region and illegal war against terrorism is just a cover up. 2) Pakistan’s current political leadership like its predecessors is unwilling or unable to recognize dangers from Bush administration that is undermining American constitution and international law to secure Conservative cum Republican interests tied to corporate America. 3) Incapacitated/unable to protect country’s policies including judiciary vis-à-vis Washington’s long term interests in Pakistan including Musharraf.

19th century conservatives, intellectuals and political leaders, supported Colonial Policy for the United States, which started after Second World War and crystallized in form of US Conservatives New Right movement in 80’s urging strong defense posture and an explicit anti-Communist foreign policy. This approach formed core of Ronald Regan (and Thatcher’s) ‘anti-communist’ policies, which led to strengthening of transatlantic alliances between Europe and US including NATO. Bush by occupying Iraq, Afghanistan and pushing ahead with European missile defense system is pursuing Regan’s legacy to protect US ‘National Security’ and Conservative’s concept of ‘Nationalism’. ‘China to be focus of US attention in Asia’ following the statements from Bush administrations’ officials including Afghan occupation will continue beyond 2012 and US presence in Iraq beyond 2025 are cases in point.

Republicans under Social Darwinism (survival of the fittest from nature to society) are pursuing Conservatives agenda that believes that some nations are superior and others inferior. In the 19th century American nationalism claimed to have a “manifest destiny” to guide and educate “lesser” peoples in the world. It explains Europe’s military support for Bush to spread democracy. Republican and Democratic Party presidential candidates are echoing superiority based ‘nationalism’ US defense policy by supporting continuation of two wars and self-right to pre-emptive use of force. It explains establishments support for McCain- also termed as Bush’s third term in office.

In economic terms, Conservative backed Economic individualism upholds free play of the market, lack of govt. control and supports individual acquisitiveness. The American capitalism (or Washington Model) shuns govt. control and recognizes unequal distribution of wealth as proof of a person’s natural superiority; poverty connoted moral inadequacy and lack of resourcefulness (Macridis, Roy C. “Conservatism.” Microsoft® Student 2008). Pakistan cannot follow this economic model on two counts: 1) Pakistan as an Islamic State cannot adopt an ‘trickle down’ economic system that violates basic economic fundamentals of an Islamic (welfare) State ensuring security of food, shelter, health, education and dignity based on philosophy of sharing and respecting Allah’s ‘division of wealth’ among its people. 2) In 1936,

US Supreme Court sustained acts of New Deal legislation, asserting that individual citizens must be protected against overpowering economic groups and from disasters they have not brought on themselves. Legislative enactments provided for old-age and survivors insurance, unemployment insurance, federal control of various financial interests, minimum wages, supervision of agricultural production, and the right of labor unions to organize and bargain collectively (Gay, Peter. “Liberalism.” Microsoft® Student 2008)

Failed Washington model that has left America in recession with over 100 million Americans struggling for health care, some 45 million struggling below national US federal poverty lines while 99 percent of country’s wealth has concentrated with top one percent elite. UK’s Labor Party defeat in local govt. elections embodies the debt ridden public and failing European economies based on Washington model where economic progress has failed to translate into better salaries for ordinary people.

In Asia unlike socialist based models 86 percent Pakistanis, some 750 million (out of 1.2 billion) Indians (Davos Report 2006) are struggling below two dollars a day. 47% of total Indian wealth is held by top twenty percent. William Overholt of the RAND Corporation observation that between 1994 and 2004 the Chinese shed 25 million manufacturing jobs, 10 times more than the US.

Similarly, Negroponte is reportedly working in US State Dept. after Bush’s presidential pardon for his alleged involved in acts of gross human rights violations during his stay in Honduras. Bush has openly undermined American constitution. The standoffs between Bush, US lawmakers and legal fraternity are cases in point: 1) wire tapping bill violating US Bill of Rights. 2) Holding terrorists trials in military courts instead of civil courts. 3) Torture policy undermines Armed forces manual on torture prohibiting 18 torture practices shows president’s disregard for international laws, country’s constitution, both houses that approved the manual. It puts in perspective Pakistan judicial standoff, external pressures on independence of judiciary and avoiding setting of judges reinstatement precedence vis-à-vis keeping a window open for extra-constitutional intervention to protect western powers geo-strategic interests in the region. It would be interesting to see developments on national security council.

Islamabad therefore needs to look through proposed Northern Pakistan ‘soft and hard policy’ backed with economic incentives because yardstick of ‘success or failure’ of the policy is a trap.

However, Islamabad by reiterating its support for Bush’s illegal war against terrorism has accepted an open-ended commitment to unending US presence in the region based on flawed premise that terrorism is a reality in Pakistan, which is not the case. It is Afghan resistance against NATO occupation. It explains Karzai-Bush opposition to Pak-Afghan border fencing because sealing of border will: 1) end excuse of blaming Pakistan. 2) Turn Afghan situation into an indigenous resistance by the Afghan people against NATO occupation forces. 3) It will allow Western media to shamelessly projecting unrest in the region to distract rest of world attention from: a) Million plus deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. b) misery of some three million Afghan and Iraq refuges struggling to survive as their women and young girls prostitute to feed their families due to ban on working in host countries.

Finally, it is hoped that sense will prevail and Islamabad will withdraw its support for flawed Bush policies that are undermining US constitution to serve conservative, Republican and corporate America’s stakes. Instead, Islamabad should secure its borders and adopt policies that serve public and national interests including independence of judiciary to protect democracy.