The United Nations Security Council is the legal council that commands world peace across the globe. The 5 permanent members of the UNSC includes USA, China, Russia France and the UK with many others listed as key countries. Some of these countries are also the biggest exporters of weapons around the world. Isn’t that ironic?
Wars rage on and tiresome efforts to contain them have been counterproductive. Member countries have passed various resolutions to ensure sustainability of peace by sending troops across Southeast Asia or Middle East, ignoring people – their legal, territorial and constitutional rights. A failed long term strategy of the west. Let us study the USA for a minute, a country that represents freedom of the people, being termed today as the supporter and an ally of countries that have dynasties and monarchies. The US supports one-man governments and is ruling for decades instead of supporting free will of the people.
Global actors
The sky is burning a sea of flame – blood red instead of clear blue. Today we see those leaders fall, from Tunisia to Egypt , to Iraq to Libya and the USA falling alongside. The new world order. Look at the past – the west dominates and vetoes decisions in favour of its own interests to control world economics and finance. Countless efforts towards the peace programme, have been futile leading to more chaos and bigger war plans, without considering the loss of lives in this part of the world – Middle East and South East Asia.
Global warming is another phenomenon, which since the last 10 years, has impacted world food water and shelter programmes, devastating people and claiming lives. Yet, weapons of mass destruction –WMDs, continue to be created and exported to countries with poor economies in the name of strategic support. War remains the agenda, hidden under the veil of democratic alliances and world peace. Why is there a significant supply weapons instead of that of food? Why are heavy defense budgets declared? Why is war created in the name of peace? Answers remain questions.
Look at another point of fact-deep sea drilling for oil and minerals is one of the means to create deep sea divisions, nuclear experiments and weapon routes tilting the balance of nature, polluting ocean life and dumping chemical waste, leading to a much dangerous economic disaster than we can imagine. We cannot drink sea water but oceans today are dumping grounds for nuclear and chemical waste – not a pleasant thing for mother earth at all. Oceans get warmer with heavy chemical intakes and as the temperature rises, the risk for Tsunamis and other natural disasters also rises.
The greatest depression
Going back in time, the great depression of the 1930’s was nothing compared to the greatest economic depression of today which has seen the world reaching record breaking levels of unemployment, food shortages, water scarcity and death by the barrel of the gun. For example, today, USA stands at a staggering $6 trillion or more in debt but has allocated over $750 billion in defense expense budgets this year.
A recent case in point is Afghanistan. The Americans did not learn a lesson that the Soviets did and went one step ahead with a war that they cannot win, yet are willing to fight or so it seems to the world. Is it to prove that they have the most powerful army in the world or maybe because they need to create wars in poor smaller nations to extract their resources for self-survival or maybe there is another angle. America, known as the land of the free is being driven to slavery by its flawed policies, leaving their people out there in the cold to survive. A country where people own nothing but mountains of debt. The major point is that they still want to fight wars in Afghanistan, not willing to let the country rest in peace and thrive, despite knowing that the Afghans are a race that will never surrender their freedom. They would rather die than be slaved.
Then comes in the question of Middle East – where every European country wants to be. An even better option is South East Asia. We have China here who is now calling the shots as an economic power cross the globe and we have Iran, a symbol of self dependency, simplicity and valor. We also have Russia, which controls over 50 per cent of the world’s energy resources and finally we have Turkey, a Muslim nation and the only ally of Israel and one of the major power brokers today, an example of economic and political prosperity. But there is one more country which holds the key and that country is Pakistan.
Where do we stand?
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the gateway to Asia and a peaceful nuclear power. We are proud to be who we are and must understand our strategic importance today as a country that makes a difference in world politics. With four major powers bordering us, leaving India, Pakistan stands as the balance towards peace and power. If we did not have Iran next door, or Syria next to it, or China and Turkey close by, things would have been slightly different. We are lucky that way but are we taking things for granted. It is imperative to sit down and chalk our options.
Pakistan commands respect with its neighbours ever since it become a country, independent as a nation, but since then, unseen forces have never let us settle down and have a life. Yet, God keeps us and the spirit of Quaid-e-Azam remains deep within our hearts, for some at least. We need to stand up and fight towards self dependency and not fall prey to the glitter and glamour of societies claiming to be the saviors in the name of democracy.
Let’s give our neighbours a chance and give the US a genuine break. Seek sense and adopt a viable strategy towards being a responsible government by supporting our own people to get jobs, health care facilities, a secure future, education and justice instead of playing slave to the anti–Muslim policy. Why can’t we truly make friends? There is no free lunch. Any country today that gives us money in the name of a loan, aid, social support or moral obligation, always keeps its conditions before us. They wouldn’t spend a dollar on us otherwise.
Countries have great armies but also have great politicians and I do not see why we cannot have both. After all, we are the true Islamic Republic of Pakistan and we carry the colour of the flag on our passport.
Let’s be proud open our heart to our country and what it gives you, the sense of freedom, belonging and true devotion. As we celebrate our independence day, it is time we think of being independent and not dependant. The blue skies must remain clear blue. We need to be clear that Pakistan under the blood red skies is not an option.
The writer is a banker, a freelance writer on finance & international relations and a broadcaster for radio 1 FM91