Adil Najam
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Dear All, Wake up and do what ? accountability and democracy do not throw up new face automatically and out of nothing. For these to work properly, it needs a wide range and variety of people to have political will and commitment; and even then, as is the case in the west as described here earlier, the mechanism can be used to, by hook or crook, elect leaders with vested interests and narrow visions. Its not only Bush. Berlusconi is another example. or Blair for that matter who was son of spin.
But in every case you will notice that none of these leaders will or can act against the overall national interests and against their own people. ie they are not , and cannot be mir jaffar or mir sadiq. clearly this is because the system, the institutions and the people will not allow them to be.
But then public in the west is educated, aware and well fed. Public in pakistan is neither educated nor well fed. Why is that? It all boils down to lack of political will and commitment. And that is because our politicians have very little stake in our country, have extremely limited vision, short term interests and narrow self centred worlds. There is lack of grace, courage, generosity and sanguinity.
There is no dedicated, organised core of people with political will, acumen and commitent to take charge and change the course of the history. Without such a core of dedicated people, no nation can ever grow, prosper or develop. Above all else, Pakistan needs this core of dedicated people.
Take the example of China nad India. We hear lot of talk about chinese human rights etc. And that chinese progress is the result of market reforms started under Deng Xiapeng.But would these reforms had worked without the human capital development that took place before Deng? NO. So while India may have democracy ( of sorts atleast) it is 30 years ( some say 50 years) behind China. Why? Lack of dedicated core of people, who were single minded in pursuing an agenda of development.
I am not advocating chinese system here. Frankly each nation and state has its own peculiar conditions and governance systems evolve uniquely to those conditions, unless these are implanted. This has unfortunatley been the case ( mostly) in Pakistan. But one must not depair. There is always oppurtunity in adversity.
Even if we begin today, developing Pakistan is not a tall order. Our population is still about one eighth of India and one tenth of china. We are extremely resource rich country. Our agriculture can still produce far more than what we need. We can still fulfill our energy, food, housing, education and health requirements relatively independently. Our strategic location can be a bigger boon than Dubai. Our people are full of enterprenuership, talent, zest and are hardworking.
Pakistan, properly managed can move into middle income group in about 20 years ie only in one generation. And in another sixty years we can be a leading and developed country. One of the biggest advanatage that a country like us has is that we can see how others developed. We have so many models on offer. We have so any examples of success and even more of failure.
And so far a democracy, human rights, liberty are concerned, these tend to follow development necessarily and spontaneously. Just look at History. Which brings us to the crux of the matter? Are there any dedicated people left in Pakistan? Is there such a core of people.
I believe there are. But they are scattered, leaderless and in much anguish and pain, swinging between hopelessness and despair. We need a platform to get them together. People who will put national interest and well being above theirs and everything else. It will only be then that the course of History will change. And change it will.
Please do not depair. Do not let this psychological war get to you. About Pakistan and its desperation. There are countries in this world and nations with weaker state structures, much weaker economies, higher inflation, less freedom, more terrorism and lawlessness, and more poverty.
We all say Pakistan is a dream for us. Yours, mine, everyone’s. Well let me tell you. Pakistan is not a dream. It is a reality. Yours and mine. Let us make it our desire, our want, and our ambition. As John F Kennedy said ‘Think not what your country can do for you; Think what you can do for your country’. So let us think that. Come up with suggestions and plans how to get what you all seem to want: A properous, modern and developed Pakistan.
Any one for the taking?
Alix,
Accountability is an integral part of the democratic process. Without accountability we get the same faces coming back over and over again and every time their voters think that “this time may be different”, history tells us that false hopes and prayers alone are not capable to change the destiny of a nation.
People in Pakistan are blaming dictatorships for the failure of democracy in Pakistan. To me it is nothing more than a feeble argument to put the blame squarely on someone else, be it the Army, Mosad, Raw or batman’s evil twin. No one has the guts to admit that our masses have failed to learn the basics of democracy, and we can not blame anyone but ourselves.
Most of your political leaders including Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif were hatched from the rotten egg of dictatorship and true to their upbringing, subscribed to the same dictatorial traits after getting elected. Look closely at the roster of M.N.A’s and Senators and you will find the same faces or at least the same surnames that have “served” us under dictatorships. The only thing that changes about them from time to time is the flag of the political party on their land cruiser, everything else remains the same.
Please wake up people! Stop hoping that the leadership that is responsible for bringing Pakistan to this point will miraculously save it one day. If we had a strong foundation for a democratic process, people like Zardari and Yousaf Gilani would either be in jail or hiding in disgrace not ruling 180 million people.
Aamir:
Hopeless romantic ? my better half would most definitely disagree :) and you won’t make that comment if you knew my age and the ailments that come with it
Besides, trying to discredit the messenger rather than the message dilutes the argument.
You seem to be missing the point and keep on ranting about the jahil awam. I am not saying that our awam is not jahil. But the point is awam is jahil across the world: In US, a guy like Kerry looses to a mediocre clown like Bush, a veteran who lost 3 limbs in Vietnam looses his office after being accused of un-patriotism by a draft dodger. Look at the rise of the BNP in UK and the win of PPP on sympathy vote.
Awan are jahil everywhere but the process has to go on. BTW, I give this govt 3 years at the top.
Alix: Well said. Agree Completely. The point is not to elect x or y - the point is to have a fair process.
I’m completely convinced that NONE of the current crop of politicians can do much for the country
But that is kind of the point.
If we’d only let the process take its course, we might end up with some political maturity at some point.
The fact remains that PPP did get the votes, and now if they have gone an appointed Zardari as president and we don’t like it, lets vote them out the next time around.
I don’t think Zardari can single-handedly destroy the country, nor indeed can he do too much good. I personally wish he was not the president - I wince every time I think of it.
But I for one am willing to wait till the next elections.
Alix:
Democracy is wonderful but your awam is too jahil for democracy to work in Pakistan. They have elected the same crooks, liars and failures again and again, who have harmed the country again and again, yet it is all ok because its “democracy”. You sound like a hopeless romantic.
To Aamir Ali:
please try to understand that this is part & parcel of democracy and something that is accepted across the world. Incompetent or corrupt people get elected all the time in India but we don’t see them rushing to denounce the process. Again, I ask if India can survive with the likes of Modi, Lalo Prasad and RSS then what’s wrong with Zardari.
Claiming that it is the result that matters is what leads us to situations like this where institutions are weakened and check & balances vanish. I think it was Churchill who said something like “democracy is the worst form of government we have but it is the only one we know that works”. Countries where institutions flourish and rule of law is established are the ones where people don’t take short circuits by saying that results are all that matter.
Knowing the arrogance of the man, he will screw up. Right now, I bet he feels pretty smug thinking that he has outsmarted everyone. But if our history is any indicator he will eventually screw up.
Don’t discard a whole process because you got results that you don’t like this time.
Well, he has proved himself to be shrewd so far. If it is channeled in the right directions, we might actually get somewhere, provided the govt does get a chance to run through its time & survive the many crises.
I have no idea why but I for some reason am hoping that this guy will do things better! But ok wait again, most probably there is no logical explanation to this feeling of mine - because I might be thinking like a Pakistani! A Pakistani who is willing to always go through the same tests again, but of course on a different date…
All hail to the generous Jahaliat of me and my fellow country men!
But yes again, kya pata Zardari acha ho geya ho!