There is no doubt that the US has been earning itself a poor international reputation…and this most recent decade of bad PR has definitely helped to negate just about everything ‘good’ the US has sponsored throughout the world. For example, USAID is one of the main reasons behind the success of two of Pakistan’s most elite business schools, including the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). It is also the source of funding for efforts to improve maternal health and water quality – just two of the terrible ailments that keep the bulk of Pakistanis at the very bottom of the pyramid.
There are many potential reasons for the current dilapidated state of the nation, in fact, the left, right, conservative and liberal populations often have overlapping theories. Each political party selects facts that appreciate their respective agendas, whether it’s the sixty years of overwhelmingly out of touch rule, a consistently increasing percentage of poverty (currently at least 25%), or the shameful 50% adult literacy rate – all ideas seem to point to a consistently increasing divide between the upper class (ruling class) and lower class (majority).
Social classes are nothing new, they are visible in all nations and communities; in fact, classism is not a definitive ‘nail in the coffin’ for a nation’s stability or prosperity. It is the breakdown of effective communication between classes that seems to be detrimental to a nation’s success. Perhaps this is one of the reasons there is such a push for western-flavored democracy in the eastern world since ‘democracy’ connotes ‘national communication.’ However, this brand of democracy doesn’t take into consideration the millenium-old cultures of the east…it can be argued that the centuries-old caste system that is observed throughout the South Asian subcontinent still influences social order – even in this day and age.
This nationwide disconnect breeds fatalism, which is common to the region, providing yet another hurdle to political involvement across the social spectrum. In this heartfelt blog post the author states that “we [Pakistan] are the only nation that believes in refurbished leaders.” It’s that very fatalism that ensures political seats for out-of-touch and often unelected officials.
We don’t need to endure several more decades of this to achieve success, nor do we need a violent revolution, and Pakistan’s citizens certainly don’t desire another coup or forced resignation. So what’s the solution…the nation’s leaders must work with the people of Pakistan to remedy the problems that repeatedly earn Pakistan the label of failed nation.
With social, medical, and economical ills crippling the nation it’s difficult to tell citizens to get involved in politics. Any Ideas?
• Download USAID’S Strategic Interim Plan for Pakistan)
• Poverty in Pakistan Wikipedia Article
• Pakistan’s Infant Mortality Rate (67 out of 1000 infants die each year).
Interesting piece.
It’s truly captivating to know that there are motivated people in that country that hope for change. Good article.
Thank you for going through my article and making a mention of it here. We need more people not just looking into it but contributing towards an attempt to a change. Unfortunately not many people go beyond “drawing room politics” and it is moreover an “in thing” or at times just “fashionable to do. Ironically it ends there and they return to being part of the mechanism that has hurt us dearly over the years.
We need not just write about it, but in our day to day livess we need to motivate people, urge them to join the cause. It will not happen over night, and nor does anything, but its a process that one needs to attend to and nurture consistently. Our job doesn;t end there. We live amidst people who are being consumed by despotism, and yet live in denial, wearing a smile and pretending all is well. We need to urge them to urge others as well. Come to think of it, its fairly simple. We all need to draw strength from each other. Those who have taken the first step and admitted the faults lie with us as a nation choosing such cancerous elements to head the table, should contribute not just with our pieces, but also motivate and encourage others to do the same. Ohterwise our work would be no different to the addresses we see today on TV with jittering / stammering heads, asking the nation not to fear, as they are not afraid. They contradict it not just with the syammering but when they ask the world to help the save Pakistan. Ironic is not the fact they contradict their claim, but it is our choosing to ignore it even when we hear it, witness it and live it.
So I urge you to join hand, unite and spread the word. We need people, our own people, and us representing eachother, irrespective of the forum. These hired aides to someone else’s cause would never be able to rescue us. Ther are slaves to the already enslaved super power claimants.
My message is fairly simple. “We dont need them, they need us and our ignorance for them to flourish. We are not a part of a party, or a race, ethnicity, caste, creed or religion. We are the Nation of Pakistan”.
http://www.pak-times.com/2008/09/27/nation-of-pakistan-a-message-to-my-country-men/
Thanks for setting it straight Ahmar…I appreciate your candor.
You are welcome, Mr. M. I invite you to join our community, “Nation Of Pakistan” and contribute to our cause. We urge you to urge others to join as well. This is just the begining.
Regards.
Just a small point. Democracy is all about individuals trying to push their own agenda. Once people get sick of them, they are thrown out and the new ones come in. This is a cycle that has to be followed until it matures.
Only then can we get somewhere. And no, we don’t need a coup.
Keep writing, bro…
Thoughtful article. Very nice. Hope for best.
This is great. I crawled through several websites looking for an intelligent analysis – thanks for posting.
Awesome post, really liked your blog 🙂