The recent deadly bombs that exploded In Afghanistan must worry President Hamid Karzai, as the United States has irrevocably decided to draw down its troops in Afghanistan.
In the last decade or so, the foreign policies of Euro-American states have been based on egoistical statesmanship, ovation-seeking declarations, enthusiastic idealism and moral indifference to consequences, which often result in collateral damage to the victim-states.
Although the Bosnia-Herzegovina campaigns were “successful”, the cities still lie in ruins decades after the wise political decisions were taken in red-velvet closets. Iraqis did not pelt American soldiers with flowers as Rumsfeld had intimated then. The Vietnamese do not seem to have forgotten, the Koreans are still divided. China had to recover Hong Kong by threatening that heavens would fall in 1997, Qingdao was recovered from the Germans and Nanjing still conducts excursions to inform its visitors about Nanjing massacres. Russia still celebrates her victory against German fascism; Northern Ireland is not yet at peace. The United States has not forgotten British atrocities in New York during the War of Independence.
The above mosaic of man’s inhumanity to man, especially the inhuman political system of apartheid, show that injustice, no matter how long and how brutally sustained, will end one day.
The conflict of the ideal and the actual often collide, with serious consequences. Neither John of Salisbury’s Universitas Hominum nor Dante’s Idealized Empire fit modern thinking.
However, Hans Morgenthau’s Power Politics and the belligerent teachings of Clausewitz suited the Western radicals and the Soviet Communists. They had conflicting claims to world power.
Democratic and oligarchic principles became the routine subject for ideological polemics between Soviet and Western commentators. These arguments were drawn in verse by Western films and other mass culture hits. Biased intellectual constructions were put on other states social systems and their policies were regularly discredited, which heightened the ideological wars.
These musings were responsible for the Cold War, which George Bush heated up a decade ago, by his ambition to be remembered as a “War President”.
He took America into the Iraqi war, got involved in the Afghanistan war and America had to launch military intelligence operations in Pakistan, after the 9/11 dastardly act be negative forces.
It was therefore expected that America would evolve strategies to confront these negative forces. The ovation calculus did not take into consideration; the toll such an enterprise would have on America financial and economic systems.
The transformation of the American economy into a war economy brought about economic changes that had profound social and political consequences.
The situation brought Barack Obama to power, who has been grappling with an inherited economic and financial order. The sudden rise of the Tea Party stultified the progress the US had made in health-care and taxation policies. When, as a result of Tea Party intervention, the Republicans gained more seats in the last Congressional elections, they exalted their rhetoric beyond pardon.
Some omnipotent legistors, with right wing views came with exaggerated notions of how to govern America without social control and social justice.
The Republican tendency to set social justice apart from political engineering may meet with resistance and may result in class war. The instinct of self-preservation contributes to rebellious engagements.
Not the least significant aspect of modern American politics is the part which populist discussion is playing in them. These mark the strong appearance of American public opinion as an important factor in current US politics. The discussions are not merely romantic or philosophical. One can discern frustrations and loss of confidence in the system.
Americans have argued for and against Obama’s philosophy of state. At this stage of US history, to neglect social justice policies, could play into the hands of political malcontents.
After the US relieves itself from the self-imposed role of the “World’s Policeman and Defender of the Free World,” she will find financial resources to grow back the US economy. I have often held that a war economy cannot assist any nation to gain acceleration in the right direction.
Hamid Karzai has displayed shocking insensitivity in his reaction to the US withdrawal of troops. He did not pay heartfelt tribute to the thousands of American troops, who fought to keep him in power this long. He does not seem to be grateful for the billions of dollars the US had spent in Afghanistan. He was shamelessly taking with both hands from Iran!
The fact is that the Taliban will gain in strength as soon as the Americans depart. This was exactly what happened when the Soviets hurriedly left Afghanistan.
The belated effort to talk to the Taliban will fail. The philosophical underpinnings of Talibanism is rooted in ancient orthodox beliefs that “a man must defend his political space’ as fundamental requirement of existence .Pride also propels Taliban attitudes, which do not yield to democratic but in an oligarchic mind-set, anchored in the Muslim way of life.
As the Taliban’s increase in power and Hamid Karzai sees his power base eroding progressively, he may sooner than later find himself in the Taliban’s den. Hopefully, Euro-American states will eventually learn that a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
The United Nations should convene a World Economic Conference, which should take a holistic view of the World economy from a multilateral perspective. Holding G8, G20 and other sectional conferences, do not provide a universal forum for UN member-states’ participation
The United Nations Organization should be more proactive in order to effectively tackle world problems.
Until the intellectual rigour of the United Nations returns, belated responses to international crisis, torpidity and the rookie image will continue to be discernible in the running of the United Nations Organization.
In view of the serious uprisings in the Middle East and North African states, coupled with financial crisis in Europe, scholars at BOASA INTERNATIONAL BUREAU, Abuja, are examining Fredrick Engels theory about the withering of the state.
Our Western friends seem to disregard any opinion, which is at variance with their convictions. This has been the crux of the conflict in this Universe of Man.
